Aim:

To evaluate the responsiveness of the “Índice de Desventaja Vocal” (Argentinian version of the Voice Handicap Index) consisting in 30 items (IDV-30) and its abbreviated version (IDV-10).

Methodology:

The IDV-30 and IDV-10 were administered to subjects with dysphonia of various etiologies, both before (“PRE”) and after (“POST”) receiving voice therapy. Independent samples were used for each instrument (IDV-30 n = 81; IDV-10 n = 92). The responsiveness of each index and each subscale of the IDV-30 was evaluated using the Wilcoxon test and it was determined whether statistically significant differences existed in scores of different diagnostic groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results:

Participants who completed the IDV-30 required an average of 8.44 therapy sessions while those who completed the IDV-10 required an average of 8.34 sessions. When comparing the “PRE” and “POST”-voice therapy scores of the total IDV-30, as well as each of its subscales and the IDV-10, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the score changes obtained by each diagnostic group across any of the indices.

Conclusions:

The responsiveness of the IDV-30 and IDV-10 has been confirmed, as statistically significant improvement in scores was evidenced by participants in the study after receiving voice therapy.

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