Productivity losses are a significant part of the disease burden associated with rhinosinusitis. Still, existing disease-specific quality of life excludes detailed assessment of the impact of the disease on productivity.
Researchers did this study to evaluate the clinimetric and psychometric validity of the SNOT-25, a modified version of the SNOT-22.
This was a prospective cohort study conducted at an academic medical center. Sample consisted of adult patients with rhinosinusitis who presented for routine visits to the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine otolaryngology clinic.
There was a high correlation between SNOT-25 scores at three months and 3.5 months, confirming substantial test-retest reliability. SNOT-25 had a strong correlation with the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation instrument’s overall score, and among Short Form-36 subscales, the strongest correlations existed between SNOT-25 and the fatigue scale. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the three new questions of SNOT-25 loaded together with the reduction in productivity and concentration items on a new “productivity” factor.
The study concluded that SNOT-25 is a valid instrument that can assess rhinosinusitis disease burden, including the impact on productivity and maybe a better predictor of treatment decisions and outcomes.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892419851622
