The role of listener experience on Consensus Auditory-perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) ratings of postthyroidectomy voice.

PURPOSE: To determine whether experienced and inexperienced listeners rate postthyroidectomy voice samples similarly using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V).

METHOD: Prospective observational study of voice quality ratings of randomized and blinded voice samples was performed. Twenty-one postthyroidectomy patients' voices, representing a wide range of severities, were rated using a custom-automated version of the CAPE-V. Ten male and 11 female voices were rated by 10 experienced and 10 inexperienced listeners. Experienced listeners consisted of 5 otolaryngologists (ENTs) and 5 speech-language pathologists (SLPs); inexperienced listeners were medical professionals with no formal training or experience in voice disorders.

RESULTS

Inexperienced listeners rated voices as more severely impaired than experienced listeners for all CAPE-V parameters (p < or = .003). Those without experience in voice disorders had lower intra- and interrater reliability (e.g., r = .838 and .528, respectively, for overall severity) than those with experience in voice disorders (e.g., r = .911 and .722, respectively, for overall severity) for all parameters. Among experienced listeners, ENTs and SLPs rated voices similarly for most parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Experienced and inexperienced listeners judged voice quality differently given minimal training with the use of the CAPE-V. SLPs and ENTs rated postthyroidectomy voice quality similarly. These findings indicate that the CAPE-V can be used reliably and similarly by professionals who specialize in voice disorders.