Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33788035›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2022

Comparison of two disease‑specific instruments assessing health-related quality of life in patients with chronic otitis media.

Robert Mlynski, David Bächinger, Theresa Langanke, Susen Lailach, Marcus Neudert, Nora M Weiss

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In one paragraph

Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. A novel instrument for assessing health-related quality of life in French patients: translation and multi-centre validation of the Zurich chronic middle ear inventory (ZCMEI-21-Fr).European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  4. Assessment of Quality-of-Life Measurement Instruments for Chronic Otitis Media: A Systematic Review Using the COnsensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) Checklist.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2025
    Article
  5. Assessment of Quality of Life in Chronic Otitis Media After Type 1 Tympanoplasty - An Observational Study.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2025
    Article
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  8. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Robert Mlynski *Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Strasse 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
David Bächinger *Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Theresa LangankeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Carl Gustav Carus", Dresden University Medical Center, Dresden, Germany.
Susen LailachDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Carl Gustav Carus", Dresden University Medical Center, Dresden, Germany.
Marcus NeudertDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Carl Gustav Carus", Dresden University Medical Center, Dresden, Germany.
Nora M WeissDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Strasse 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany. nora-magdalena.weiss@med.uni-rostock.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0645-3591

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeEvaluating the current health state in chronic otitis media (COM), audiologic results are complemented by subjective outcomes, such as health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Two disease-specific instruments assessing HRQoL in COM in German-speaking patients exist, i.e., the chronic otitis media outcome test (COMOT-15) and the Zurich chronic middle ear inventory (ZCMEI-21). Since the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in a concurrent application are unknown, the aim of this study was to compare the COMOT-15 and the ZCMEI-21.

methodsHRQoL was assessed in adult COM patients using the COMOT-15 and the ZCMEI-21. Psychometric properties were determined, including response distribution, concurrent validity, internal consistency, correlation to hearing and gender differences.

resultsIn 173 patients (mean age 51.5 years), both questionnaires showed normally distributed scores without strong floor and ceiling effects. The total scores and subscores of both questionnaires exhibited satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.7-0.9) with the exception of the COMOT-15 hearing subscore (α = 0.94) and the ZCMEI-21 medical resource subscore (α = 0.66). Fair correlations between the air conduction pure-tone average and the total scores were found (COMOT-15: r = 0.36, p < 0.0001; ZCMEI-21: r = 0.34, p < 0.0001).

conclusionIn the first study comparing the COMOT-15 and the ZCMEI-21, both questionnaires exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties with several subtle differences. The COMOT-15 has a strong focus on hearing with a probably redundant content of the hearing subscore and may be suited for hearing-focused research questions. The ZCMEI-21 provides a comprehensive assessment of the COM symptom complex and may therefore also be used in research settings, where ear discharge, vertigo or pain should be covered.

Indexed as

Otitis MediaQuality of LifeAdultChronic DiseaseHumansMiddle AgedPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesCholesteatomaCOMOT-15Concurrent validityGender differenceHearing perceptionQuestionnaireZCMEI-21

Identifiers

PMID33788035
PMCPMC8794985

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.