title: Measuring outcome from vestibular rehabilitation, part II: refinement and validation of a new self-report measure.
abstract: A prototype self-report measure of vestibular rehabilitation outcome is described in a previous paper. The objectives of the present work were to identify the most useful items and assess their psychometric properties. Stage 1: One hundred fifty-five participants completed a prototype 36-item Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefit Questionnaire (VRBQ). Statistical analysis demonstrated its subscale structure and identified redundant items. Stage 2: One hundred twenty-four participants completed a refined 22-item VRBQ and three established questionnaires (Dizziness Handicap Inventory, DHI; Vertigo Symptom Scale short form, VSS-sf; Medical Outcomes Study short form 36, SF-36) in a longitudinal study. Statistical analysis revealed four internally consistent subscales of the VRBQ: Dizziness, Anxiety, Motion-Provoked Dizziness, and Quality of Life. Correlations with the DHI, VSS-sf, and SF-36 support the validity of the VRBQ, and effect size estimates suggest that the VRBQ is more responsive than comparable questionnaires. Twenty participants completed the VRBQ twice in a 24-hour period, indicating excellent test-retest reliability. The VRBQ appears to be a concise and psychometrically robust questionnaire that addresses the main aspects of dizziness impact.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, UK. aem@isvr.soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: Anna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lutman
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yardley
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*