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Validating the clinical assessment of eustachian tube dysfunction: The eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire (ETDQ‐7)
Author(s) -
McCoul Edward D.,
Anand Vijay K.,
Christos Paul J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.23223
Subject(s) - eustachian tube , medicine , tube (container) , audiology , surgery , middle ear , engineering , mechanical engineering
Objectives/Hypothesis: Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is a common condition that is associated with otologic and rhinologic symptoms. The complete assessment of ETD is limited without a valid symptom score. We developed and conducted initial validation of the seven‐item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ‐7), a disease‐specific instrument to assess symptoms with respect to ETD. Study Design: Validation study. Methods: The ETDQ‐7 was developed using standard survey methodology. The ETDQ‐7 was completed by a group of 50 consecutive adult patients diagnosed with ETD and 25 non‐ETD patients who served as a control group. Tympanometry was used as a criterion standard to distinguish the two groups. A subset of respondents repeated the ETDQ‐7 at a time point 4 weeks later. Results: Content validity for the ETDQ‐7 was established by focus group and review of the literature. Reliability testing indicated acceptable internal consistency for the entire instrument (Cronbach α = .71). The test–retest reliability indicated good correlation between the two questionnaires completed by the same patient 4 weeks apart ( r = 0.78). The ETDQ‐7 was able to discriminate between patients with ETD and those without ( P < .001), indicating excellent discriminant validity. Conclusions: The ETDQ‐7 is a valid and reliable symptom score for use in adult patients with ETD that may facilitate clinical practice by highlighting the impact of ETD. Further testing is needed to determine its usefulness in assessing treatment response.