“Tell me what happened” or “Tell me what’s troubling you.” The patient then tells the story about his or her voice problem. In laryngology, three things are accomplished simultaneously during the history.
- This history offers a great many clues about likely types of voice disorders based on when the hoarseness started, simultaneous events at the onset, the duration, et cetera.
- Secondly the examiner gets to begin hearing the conversational voice for a period of time.
- Third, the patient’s preconceived perceptions of their problem are also important for the physician to address later in the exam.
People who talk a lot will suffer from a different set of problems than people who are naturally quiet. People who lose their voice suddenly after yelling will have a different problem from those who lose it slowly over time.
Elicit the History
How to listen to the patient’s story, what to probe for at onset, and the key questions every laryngology history must cover.
Intake Form
The standardized voice history form used before the office visit — covering talkativeness, loudness, vocal demands, and a full ENT overview.