Expanding Frontiers in Voice Health & Care - Applications for India

Abstract

Speech and hearing as a profession has existed over the last ve decades in India. Speech pathologists have made considerable and consistent dierence to their practice in line with the growing trends in knowledge base and technological advances in the eld. These have provided scope to apply rened assessment and management strategies to communication disorders. It would not be an overstatement to claim that `voice health and care' has potential to emerge as a sub-speciality in the practice of speech pathologists in India (Boominathan & Desai, 2012). Voice care provided by speech pathologists has undergone several transformations recently to establish itself from a modest ancillary support (if and when available) to ENT specialists to a sophisticated (more rened and precise) and an essential aspect of patient care. This article highlights a few changing trends in the eld, identies gaps in clinical practice and suggests potential research ideas that could be explored to improve patient care and service.