Teamwork leads to development of a

Diagnostic Classification System for Voice Disorders.

Dr. Jan Baker, a recent PhD graduate and full-time appointment to the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology is the lead author on a soon-to-be published article on a diagnostic classification system for voice disorders.  The article, entitled Development of a Modified Diagnostic Classification System for Voice Disorders with Inter-rater Reliability Study, by Janet Baker with David I. Ben-Tovim, Andrew Butcher, Adrian Esterman and Kristin McLaughlin, will be published in a special issue of Logopedics, Vocology and Phonology (Issue 3, October 2007), edited by Professor Paul Carding (UK). The special issue journal will be devoted to evidence based practice and outcome studies for voice disorders.

The article is a product of the type of cooperation and collegiality that we all aspire to.  Jan undertook this work following her very first PhD presentation to the Department where Dr. Chris Lind gently but provocatively mentioned that speech pathologists seem to use a very diverse terminology when discussing the different voice disorders.  Up for the challenge, Jan commenced development of the classification system.  Coincidentally, the otolaryngologists and speech pathologists from the Voice Analysis Clinics of the FMC, RAH and QEH had started discussions about ways to develop a more stream-lined approach to assessment in the VACs and ways to establish a collaborative data base. Jan was most fortunate in being included in these discussions and was able to bring to the group her emerging ideas for this classification system. After the classification system had been developed, these same clinicians assisted Jan with the recruitment of patients for a pilot study and inter-rater reliability study to see if this would prove to be a viable diagnostic tool for the allocation of patients to the different diagnostic groups.

The new Diagnostic Classification System for Voice Disorders (DCSVD) has been used across three different clinics during the past 2 years and to our knowledge, this is the first time that one diagnostic classification system has been used in Australia for the systematic recording and compiling of data for each clinic, and across different institutions. There is further work to be done, of course, but this milestone represents an excellent example of successful collaboration between the University and Clinical sectors.  Jan in particular wishes to acknowledge the contribution of; Speech Pathologists Heather Baron, Jane Bickford, Jacqui Beaty, Johanna Flavell, Josie Kitch, Felicity Laurence, Stephanie Martin, Alison Russell, Helen Smith, and Emma Tyler; Otolaryngologists Simon Carney, Darcy Economos, Michael Jay, Suren Krishnan, John Ling and Guy Rees. Most helpful early commentary from Cecilia Pemberton, Guy Rees Alison Russell ( formerly of Flinders University), Jenni Oates (LaTrobe University) and liaison psychiatrist, Allan House, (Leeds University).

Well done everybody!

Chris Lind has been invited to present at the Aging and Speech Communication;  2nd International and Interdisciplinary Research Conference, October 7-10, 2007, Indiana University, on “Communication Breakdown and Repair in Older Adults”.  This arose at the request of one of the examiners of his PhD thesis