title: Validating the clinical assessment of eustachian tube dysfunction: The Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: McCoul
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Christos
mesh_terms: D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires