Disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaires in rhinitis and rhinosinusitis: review and evaluation

Quality of life (QoL) measurements are the best approximation of the burden of disease for the patient. Patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs) estimate health-related quality of life (HRQoL). PROMs can be generic or disease-specific. Generic PROMs allow comparisons between different diseases but can be relatively insensitive for measuring changes within a disease. Recommended QoL questionnaires in allergic rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis are the RQLQ (or adapted versions), in chronic rhinosinusitis, the SNOT-22 or RSOM-31, and in acute rhinosinusitis, the modified SNOT-16. PROMs can be used both for daily clinical work and for research. In daily practice, a quick evaluation of the questionnaire directly indicates how the patient is doing. It makes sure that symptoms important for the patient are not overlooked and, during the consultation, the physician can elaborate on specific aspects of the symptomatology. It is important, especially in research, to realize that disease-specific questionnaires are only validated for specific diseases and are not automatically valid for other diseases.