Validity of a new health-related quality of life instrument for patients with chronic sinusitis

Objective/Hypothesis: To assess the validity and responsiveness of a new health-related quality of life (HRQL) instrument for patients with chronic sinusitis. Study Design: Prospective case series. Methods. Patients with chronic sinusitis undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery were assessed in two otolaryngology practices affiliated with an academic hospital. Patient-reported HRQL was assessed using a new instrument (includes symptom frequency, bothersomeness, and impact scales), the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS), and the generic SF-12 at baseline and 3 months postsurgery. The psychometric properties of the new instrument were assessed including reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability. Results. Among 50 enrolled patients, 49 underwent surgery and 39 (80%) completed 3-month follow-up. Internal consistency was high for the symptom impact scale. The symptom frequency and, especially, bothersomeness scales had lower internal consistency and were comparable with the CSS. Correlation analyses support the construct validity of the new measure compared with the CSS and SF-12. The responsiveness of the new instrument was excellent and similar to or better than the CSS. The mean score change was linearly related to the patient's global self-assessment, although the CSS symptom and total score better discriminated patients with major or moderate degrees of improvement. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the validity and responsiveness of a new rhinosinusitis-specific HRQL instrument, the Rhinosinusitis Quality of Life survey, in patients with chronic sinusitis. The instrument's symptom frequency, bothersomeness, and impact scales compare favorably with a previously validated disease-specific and a generic HRQL measure. If validated in other patient populations, this disease-specific instrument may be useful in assessing severity and outcomes of treatment for sinusitis.