Voice handicap index into greek

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Voice Handicap Index Into Greek
*Meropi E. Helidoni, †,‡Thomas Murry, §Joanna Moschandreas, kChristos Lionis, {,#Athanasia Printza, and **George A. Velegrakis, *xk**Crete, {#Thessaloniki, Greece and yzNew York, New York Summary: The objective was to culturally adapt and validate the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) to the Greek language. The study designused was a psychometric analysis. The VHI was translated into Greek with cultural adaptations to accommodate certain words. The translated version was then completed by 67 subjects with various voice disorders and by a control group of 79 subjects. All the participants also completed a self-rating scale regarding the severity of their voice disorder. Statistical analyses demonstrated highinternal consistency and high test-retest reliability both for the overall VHI score and for the functional, physical, and emotional domains of the VHI. A moderate correlation was found between the VHI and the self-rating severity scale. The subjects in the control group had lower scores compared to the subjects with voice disorders for the overall VHI score and for the three domains. Based on theinternal consistency values and the test-retest reliability, the Greek version of VHI is a valid and reliable measure for use by Greek subjects with voice disorders. Key Words: Voice Handicap Index–Voice disorders–Greek Voice Handicap Index–Normal Voice. INTRODUCTION The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) is a self-administered voice handicap inventory that can be used with patients presenting a wide range ofvoice disorders. It has been shown to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing patients’ self-perceived voice handicap.1 It has been translated into and validated for many languages2–11 and has been shown to be a consistent tool for assessing the validity and reliability of self-perceived voice handicap. In addition, it meets the criteria placed by the Agency for Healthcare Research andQuality for determining disability in speech-language disorders.12 The VHI was developed and validated by Jacobson et al.1 The VHI has three content domains representing functional, physical, and emotional aspects of voice disorders. There are 10 items corresponding to each domain, each item being measured on a five-point Likert-type scale (from 0 ¼ never to 4 ¼ always). A high score is expected tocorrespond to a more severe voice disorder. The VHI is usually completed within 5 minutes. The VHI is one of several tools that have gained popularity to aid in the assessment of voice disorders. Instrumental acoustic and aerodynamic measures have long been used to assess severity of the voice and changes with treatment. However, in recent years there has been a shift toward the development and useof patient-based assessment instruments for voice disorders to determine the patient’s perception of his/her voice
Accepted for publication June 11, 2008. From the *ENT Department, University of Crete, Crete, Greece; yVoice and Swallowing Center, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York; zClinical SpeechPathology in Otolaryngology, Columbia University, College of Physicians andSurgeons, New York, New York; xBiostatistics Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece; kClinic of Social and Family Medicine, Head of the Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece; {2nd Otorhinolaryngology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Voice Clinic, Thessaloniki, Greece; #2nd Otorhinolaryngology Department,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; and the **Department of Otolaryngology of the University of Crete, Crete, Greece. Address correspondence and reprint requests to George A. Velegrakis, MD, University of Crete, Myrtias 3 Str., Heraklion, Crete 71409, Greece. E-mail: gvel@med.uoc.gr Journal of Voice, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 221-227 0892-1997/$36.00 Ó...