The EQ-5D: a new tool for studying clinical outcomes in chronic rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To describe the role and applicability of the EuroQol 5-Dimension, 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire for the assessment of general health-related quality of life in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

METHODS

The EQ-5D-5L was administered to 462 patients with refractory chronic rhinosinusitis before and 3 months after sinus surgery. Preoperative and postoperative scores across each of five health dimensions were analyzed and the results compared to those obtained from two widely used chronic rhinosinusitis outcomes instruments: the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS) and SinoNasal Outcomes Test-22 (SNOT-22).

RESULTS

Three hundred and fifty patients completed the five questions and visual analog scale (VAS) of the EQ-5D at baseline and at 3 months for a response rate of 75.8%. There were no incomplete questionnaires. The frequency of patients reporting problems in the EQ-5D domains of pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression, and usual activities decreased following sinus surgery (74.3% vs. 34.4%, 48.6% vs. 31.4%, and 30.6% vs. 19.4%, respectively; all P < 0.001). The domains of mobility and self-care did not demonstrate statistically significant change. EQ-5D VAS (standard deviation) improved from 73.4 (16.9) before surgery to 82.0 (14.4) after surgery (P < 0.001). Preoperative VAS correlated with SNOT-22 scores (Pearson coefficient of 0.50; P < 0.01). Postoperative change in VAS and SNOT-22 scores demonstrated moderate correlation (Pearson coefficient of 0.36, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The EQ-5D is a general health measure with sensitivity to clinical change in rhinosinusitis that support its use for monitoring patient outcomes. The limited response burden and ability to directly calculate health utility make it an attractive tool for rhinosinusitis outcomes research.