title: The short form 36 (SF36) in a specialist tinnitus clinic.
abstract: Tinnitus is an extremely common condition which is known to have an effect on quality of life. This study reports the health profile of tinnitus sufferers who attend a specialist tinnitus clinic. This cross-sectional study uses the self-report questionnaire SF36. Two hundred consecutive new patients completed the questionnaire as part of their assessment in a specialist tinnitus clinic in Wales. In all eight scales of the SF36 the mean scores were below that of the general population. Compared to a reference population patients referred to a specialist tinnitus clinic show a reduction in their age/sex-adjusted health profile which is comparable to that of people reporting low back pain. The findings also lend weight to the suggestion that tinnitus sufferers may have a general response bias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiological Medicine, Welsh Hearing Institute, Cardiff, UK. cwilson@cf.ac.uk
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Dafydd
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stephens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology