Vocal disorders evaluation in professionals who use their voice as a working tool. Occupational Voice Quick Screening

Abstract

It is known that 40 % of the active working population uses the voice as a working tool, especially those who depend on the voice (telephone operators, receptionists, broadcasters, teachers, etc.), as they in their work require exchange of continuously communicative contents. The voice is the instrument to reveal the thought; it requires a permanent care to change habits that can affect overall health. By the roles at work these professionals are in states of stress, which affects the respiratory, nervous and muscular system, in this scenario it is natural that the vocal structures are affected, causing changes and sometimes damage to the vocal qualities. Objectives: the research focuses on the development of a protocol for the evaluation of vocal disorders. Materials and methods: this article reports the first phase: the development of a diagnostic questionnaire, which aims to identify risk factors which are exposed workers and from it, sort depending on the level of exposure. Results: the questionnaire is divided into four dimensions: personal factors and occupational risks, consolidation and analysis of information, with the results is carried out risk classification of workers according to the data.