title: The Chronic Otitis Media Benefit Inventory (COMBI): Development and Validation of a Dynamic Quality of Life Questionnaire for Chronic Ear Disease.
abstract: This study introduces a change-oriented short-form health-related quality of life questionnaire suited to symptoms of adult chronic middle ear disease and its consequences, and describes its properties.
  
  
  
  Two-centre prospective correlational study primarily for instrument development.
  
  
  
  Two otology secondary care centers in England.
  
  
  
  Fifty-two consecutive adult patients with active chronic otitis media undergoing surgery.
  
  
  
  The 12 items for the chronic otitis media benefit inventory (COMBI) were appraised chiefly for internal consistency of resulting score and for factor structure (exploratory factor analysis).
  
  
  
  The internal consistency of the COMBI was high within our cohort of patients, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.907. The three-factor solution from factor analysis explaining 73.6% of the variance was readily interpretable in terms of the intended item content: changes in hearing, ear symptoms, and daily activities plus healthcare uptake.
  
  
  
  The COMBI has suitable properties for the dynamic assessment of active chronic otitis media. Initial psychometric appraisal confirms its suitability for early adoption to acquire more comprehensive large-sample information with it and on it, for future refinement and application.
authors.affiliation: *Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk †Multi-Centre Otitis Media Study Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge ‡Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haggard
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires