Layperson Perception of Symptoms Caused by the Sinuses

Abstract

Objective To assess the perceived symptoms caused by the sinuses as defined by otolaryngology patients and clinicians. Study Design Multi‐institutional cross‐sectional study. Setting Six academic outpatient otolaryngology practices. Methods We performed a multi‐institutional, cross‐sectional study using a semantics‐based questionnaire. Consecutive patients were enrolled at 6 academic otolaryngology centers from June 2020 to May 2021. The primary outcome examined patient and provider definitions for the symptoms caused by the sinuses from a list of 28 proposed terms covering 6 general categories. These data were also collected from otolaryngology faculty at the same institutions. Results Responses were obtained from 451 patients (54% female, mean age 48.3 years) and 29 otolaryngologists (38% female, mean age 37.4 years). Patients selected a median of 12 terms, compared to 8.5 for otolaryngologists. Among patients, the most frequently selected symptom domains were mucus (419, 92.9%), airflow (412, 91.4%), and pain (389, 86.3%). Compared to clinicians, patients more frequently selected symptoms related to the ear (difference, 48.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 34.8%‐59.3%), throat (difference, 35.7%, 95% CI, 22.0%‐47.5%), systemic (difference, 34.4%, 95% CI, 21.2%‐46.0%), mucus (difference, 20.5%, 95% CI, 10.2%‐30.6%), and airflow domains (difference, 19.0%, 95% CI, 8.4%‐29.3%). Multiple domains were selected by 98% of patients and 79% of providers. Conclusion Semantic differences exist between patients and clinicians regarding the symptoms caused by the sinus with patients having a broader range of perceived symptoms. These differences may provide clues to improve communication between otolaryngologists and their patients.

How Do Patients and Otolaryngologists Define Dizziness?

“…Prior studies have demonstrated significant differences between patients and clinicians in the verbiage used to describe other common otolaryngologic complaints such as congestion, 7,8 reflux, 9 and sinus infections. 10,11 Dizziness has also been previously evaluated at a single institution, where there was found to be significant differences in how patients and clinicians define this common complaint. 12 No multi-institutional study has been conducted to date on the topic.…”