The perceptual assessment of voice in post-laryngectomy tracheoesophageal speakers

Hurren, Anne, Hildreth, Anthony and Carding, Paul (2008) The perceptual assessment of voice in post-laryngectomy tracheoesophageal speakers. Clinical Otolaryngol, 33 (3). p. 300. ISSN 1749-4478

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Abstract

To investigate the inter and intra rater reliability of expert raters concerning two alaryngeal voice parameters: 'overall grade' and 'neoglottal tonicity'. Reliable perceptual assessment is essential for surgical and therapeutic outcome measurement but has been minimally researched to date. Method. Nine speech and language therapists and four ENT surgeons judged audio recordings of 55 tracheoesophageal speakers. 'Overall grade' was rated with a 0-3 equally appearing interval scale and 'neoglottal tonicity' with an 11 point bipolar semantic scale. Ratings were repeated one-month later. Weighted kappa reliability co-efficients were calculated with StatXact. Results. The effect of 'neoglottal' tonicity on 'overall grade' was examined via linear regression using the combined grades of the 4 senior SLT's. R2 coefficient = 0.62, implying that 62% of the variance in 'overall grade' is attributable to tonicity. Conclusions. Strength of agreement1 was good for inter and intra rater reliability for 'overall grade'. Intra-rater agreement for 'neoglottal tonicity' was also good but inter-rater judgements were only moderate. However experienced therapists demonstrated good inter rater reliability for 'neoglottal tonicity' suggesting this group may be the optimal judges for alaryngeal voice assessment. The R2 coefficient indicates 'tonicity' is a good predictor of 'overall grade' for experienced SLT raters.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Meeting abstract
Subjects:	C800 Psychology
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Nursing, Midwifery and Health
Depositing User:	EPrint Services
Date Deposited:	10 Sep 2009 11:03
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2019 15:26
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/2368

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