MenQOL Assessment Instrument Yields Promising Initial Results

CLINICAL QUESTION

Can a sequential process of expert and patient input and analysis be used to create a viable Ménière’s disease (MD) quality of life (MenQOL) assessment instrument?

BOTTOM LINE

Subject to further study, the patient-
reported outcome measure (PROM) MenQOL may be used to assess the effects of treatment on disease-specific quality of life in patients with MD.

BACKGROUND: Ménière’s disease is an idiopathic inner ear disorder of unknown etiology and with no known cure. It manifests as recurrent attacks of vertigo, aural fullness, tinnitus, and hearing loss. Treatment for MD focuses on symptom control. Quality of life (QOL) measurement is critical to assess MD disease burden and therapeutic efficacy.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study

SETTING: Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

SYNOPSIS: Researchers set out to develop a valid, reliable, easy-to-apply PROM for the evaluation of changes in disease-specific QOL over time in patients with MD. They used expert input, patient focus groups, and analyses of responses to draft questionnaires to create their 24-item MenQOL instrument. The questionnaire included items assessing the principal symptoms of MD, related psychological symptoms, the impact of symptoms on social and daily functioning, and overall QOL. Researchers administered the MenQOL and the SF-36v2 health survey to a cohort of 50 patients (46.0% female; mean age 57.8 years) with MD and 60 comparison patients (60% female; mean age 51.7 years) with tinnitus, vertigo, or hearing loss from other identified causes. The team performed exploratory analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, between-group comparisons of total MenQOL scores, and regression analyses between the MenQOL and SF-36v2. Results showed the instrument was able to demonstrate poorer QOL in patients with MD compared to control patients with vertigo, hearing loss, or tinnitus alone. The tool showed high internal consistency, and scores were highly correlated with those on the SF-36v2. Study limitations included reliance on data from the practice of one physician at a single center.

CITATION: Quimby AE, et al. Development and initial validation of a Ménière’s disease quality of life instrument: the MenQOL. Laryngoscope. 2024;134:4351–4357. doi: 10.1002/lary.31478.