Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026
Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Validity and Reliability of a French Version of Reflux Symptom Index
Jérôme R Lechien1, Kathy Huet2, Camille Finck3
1Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, UMONS Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium; Laboratory of Phonetics, Faculty of Psychology, Research Institute for Language Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, RHMS Baudour, EpiCURA Hospital, Baudour, Belgium.
Objective:
To develop a French version of the Reflux Symptom Index (Fr-RSI) and to assess its internal consistency, reliability, and clinical validity.
Study Design:
Controlled, prospective trial.
Materials And Methods:
Forty-four patients with a reflux finding score > 7 and an Fr-RSI > 13 were enrolled and treated with 20 mg of pantoprazole twice daily and diet changes for 3 months. Ninety asymptomatic subjects were also included in the study. To assess reliability, Fr-RSI was completed twice within a 7-day period. Validity was assessed by comparing Fr-RSI scores with scores from the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) in 24 of 44 patients, at baseline and at 3 months posttherapy.
Results:
The mean values of Fr-RSI at baseline and after 7 days were 20.17 ± 5.76 and 19.75 ± 7.08, respectively, for patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and 4.02 ± 3.49 and 3.71 ± 3.82, respectively, for controls. The test-retest reliability was high in patients with LPR (rBP = 0.78) and in healthy subjects (rBP = 0.80). Cronbach's alpha was 0.85, indicating high internal consistency. The mean Fr-RSI score significantly improved from a baseline of 20.17 ± 5.76 to 5.58 ± 3.65 after 3 months of treatment (P = 0.001), and the initial mean VHI total score significantly improved from 20.29 ± 19.62 to 12.87 ± 12.04 after treatment (P = 0.029), indicating validity of the results. However, of the subcategories of the VHI, only the mean physical score improved from a baseline of 11.19 ± 9.22 to 7.35 ± 5.96 after treatment (P = 0.016).
Conclusion:
The Fr-RSI developed in this study demonstrated both reliability and validity. It can be easily administered to assist in diagnosing and monitoring of LPR in French-speaking patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease II: Clinical Features and Management
Clinical Manifestations
GERD presents itself in a multitude of ways, with symptoms varying from person to person. The hallmark symptoms are...
01:17Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System I: Subjective Data
Health History
The initial step in assessing the GI system is obtaining a comprehensive health history. This includes inquiring about the patient's history or presence of problems...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
01:29Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern
Health Perception Patterns
Health perception patterns offer valuable insights into a patient's lifestyle habits and how they may impact their GI health. These patterns include:
01:24Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
01:29Reliability and Validity