title: [Applicability of Voice Handicap Index to the evaluation of voice therapy effectiveness in teachers].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of Voice Handicap Index (VHI) to the evaluation of effectiveness of functional voice disorders treatment in teachers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 45 female teachers with functional dysphonia who evaluated their voice problems according to the subjective VHI scale before and after phoniatric management. Group I (29 patients) were subjected to vocal training, whereas group II (16 patients) received only voice hygiene instructions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrated that differences in the mean VHI score before and after phoniatric treatment were significantly higher in group 1 than in group II (p < 0.05). Moreover, the improvement observed in group I applied to each of VHI subscales: functional, emotional and physical, while in group II it applied only to physical subscale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that the VHI test can be a useful method for monitoring phoniatric management efficacy in teacher's dysphonia.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Audiologii i Foniatrii, Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera, Łódź. ebogusz@imp.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niebudek-Bogusz
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuzańska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Błoch
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domańska
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Woźnicka
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Politański
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sliwińska-Kowalska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014834:Voice Training