title: Agreement between health utility instruments in cochlear implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of our study were threefold: to compare health utility scores measured with different health utility instruments in adult patients with bilateral deafness, to compare the change in health utility scores after unilateral or bilateral cochlear implantation using the different health utility instruments and to assess which health utility instrument would be the most appropriate for future studies on cochlear implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data for this article were collected as part of a multicentre randomised controlled trial in the Netherlands on the benefits of simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation compared to unilateral cochlear implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 38 adult patients with severe to profound bilateral post-lingual sensorineural hearing loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed various quality of life questionnaires (the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D), the Health Utilities Index mark 3 (HUI3), a visual analogue scale (VAS) for general quality of life and a VAS for hearing) preoperatively, and one and two years postoperatively. The general health utility instruments (EQ-5D, HUI3 and VAS general) were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The EQ-5D, HUI3 and VAS general utility scores differed significantly. The intraclass correlation coefficients showed poor to no agreement between these instruments. A gain in health utility after cochlear implantation was found with the HUI3 and VAS general. The highest gain in health utility was found with the HUI3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A health utility score depends on the health utility instrument that is used in a specific patient population. We recommend using the HUI3 in future studies on cochlear implantation.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: G G J
authors: GG
authors: Ramakers
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: Y E
authors: YE
authors: Smulders
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: van Zon
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: V J C
authors: VJ
authors: Kraaijenga
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Stegeman
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: G A
authors: GA
authors: Van Zanten
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Grolman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires