Examining Therapy Duration in Adults With Voice Disorders

Purpose: This study examined the number of voice therapy sessions and the number of weeks in treatment to achieve desired voice outcomes in adults with voice disorders. Factors that may predict therapy duration were examined, as was the percentage of patients returning to the clinic for additional voice therapy after initial discharge. Method: An observational cohort design was utilized. Data from 558 patients were extracted from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Voice and Swallow Outcomes Database. Patients diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia, vocal fold paralysis, benign vocal fold lesions, laryngospasm/irritable larynx, and presbyphonia were examined. Patient demographics, auditory-perceptual assessments, acoustics, aerodynamics, videostroboscopy ratings, self-reported scales, and medical comorbidities were collected. Results: Patients required an average of 5.32 ( SD = 3.43) sessions of voice therapy before voice outcomes were sufficiently improved for discharge. Average number of sessions ranged from 4.3 for presbyphonia to 6.7 for benign vocal fold lesions. Baseline overall Grade Roughness Breathiness Asthenia and Strain rating ( p < .001), Dysphonia Severity Index ( p < .001), Voice Handicap Index score ( p < .01), age ( p = .006), and occupational voice user status ( p < .001) significantly predicted the number of therapy sessions required. Overall, 14.5% of patients returned for additional voice therapy following an initial discharge from treatment. Conclusions: Findings inform our understanding of how many sessions patients with voice disorders require to achieve desired voice outcomes. Additional research is needed to optimize the efficacy of voice treatment and determine how recurrence of dysphonia might best be prevented.