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The development of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory
1Division of Audiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich 48202.
Archives of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery
|April 1, 1990
Summary
The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) effectively measures how dizziness impacts daily life. This 25-item tool provides reliable self-perceived handicapping effects for patients with vestibular disorders.
Area of Science:
- Vestibulometry
- Audiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Conventional vestibulometric methods fail to quantify the daily life impact of dizziness.
- Self-perceived handicapping effects of vestibular system disease require a dedicated assessment tool.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and describe the creation of the 25-item Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI).
- To evaluate the self-perceived handicapping effects of dizziness and unsteadiness.
Main Methods:
- Development of preliminary (37 items) and final (25 items) versions of the DHI.
- Subgrouping items into functional, emotional, and physical domains.
- Assessing reliability using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest methods on 106 patients.
Main Results:
- The DHI demonstrated good internal consistency reliability.
- Higher DHI scores correlated significantly with increased dizziness frequency, except for the physical subscale.
- High test-retest reliability was observed.
Conclusions:
- The 25-item Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) is a reliable tool for assessing dizziness-related handicaps.
- The DHI effectively captures the functional, emotional, and physical impact of dizziness on patients' lives.