Chandra Navshika, Chang Kevin, Lee Arier, Shekhawat Giriraj S, Searchfield Grant D
Audiology Section, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Statistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
J Am Acad Audiol. 2018 Jul/Aug;29(7):609-625. doi: 10.3766/jaaa.16171.
The effects of treatments on tinnitus have been difficult to quantify. The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) has been proposed as a standard questionnaire for measurement of tinnitus treatment outcomes. For a questionnaire to achieve wide acceptance, its psychometric properties need to be confirmed in different populations.
To determine if the TFI is a reliable and valid measure of tinnitus, and if its psychometric properties are suitable for use as an outcome measure.
A psychometric evaluation of the TFI from secondary data obtained from a cross-sectional clinic survey and a clinical trial undertaken in New Zealand.
Confirmatory factor analysis and evaluation of internal consistency reliability were undertaken on a sample of 318 patients with the primary complaint of tinnitus. In a separate sample of 40 research volunteers, test-retest reliability, convergent and divergent validity were evaluated. Both samples consisted of predominantly older Caucasian male patients with tinnitus.
The internal structure of the original US TFI was confirmed. The Cronbach's Alpha and Intraclass correlation coefficients were >0.7 for the TFI overall and each of its subscales, indicating high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Strong Pearson correlations with the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire and tinnitus numerical rating scales indicated excellent convergent validity, and a moderate correlation with the Hearing Handicap Inventory, indicated moderate divergent validity. Evaluation of the clinical trial showed good test-retest reliability and agreement between no-treatment baselines with a smallest detectable change of 4.8 points.
The TFI is a reliable and valid measure of tinnitus severity in the population tested and is responsive to treatment-related change. Further research as to the TFI's responsiveness to treatment is needed across different populations.
治疗对耳鸣的影响一直难以量化。耳鸣功能指数（TFI）已被提议作为测量耳鸣治疗效果的标准问卷。要使一份问卷被广泛接受，需要在不同人群中确认其心理测量特性。
确定TFI是否是一种可靠且有效的耳鸣测量方法，以及其心理测量特性是否适合用作疗效指标。
对从新西兰进行的横断面临床调查和一项临床试验获得的二手数据进行TFI的心理测量评估。
对318例以耳鸣为主诉的患者样本进行验证性因素分析和内部一致性信度评估。在40名研究志愿者的单独样本中，评估重测信度、收敛效度和区分效度。两个样本主要由患有耳鸣的老年白人男性患者组成。
证实了原始美国TFI的内部结构。TFI总体及其各子量表的Cronbach's Alpha系数和组内相关系数均>0.7，表明内部一致性高且重测信度高。与耳鸣障碍问卷和耳鸣数字评定量表的强Pearson相关性表明收敛效度极佳，与听力障碍量表的中度相关性表明区分效度中等。对临床试验的评估显示重测信度良好，无治疗基线之间的一致性良好，最小可检测变化为4.8分。
在测试人群中，TFI是一种可靠且有效的耳鸣严重程度测量方法，并且对与治疗相关的变化有反应。需要在不同人群中进一步研究TFI对治疗的反应性。
