Patient-Reported Quality-of-Life Outcome Measure After Parotidectomy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Parotidectomy recovery lacks validated patient-reported quality-of-life (QOL) instruments.
• Existing tools do not fully capture the multidimensional aspects of patient-centered outcomes post-parotidectomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and validate a comprehensive English-language patient-reported QOL instrument specifically for parotidectomy recovery.
• To develop the Parotidectomy Quality of Life Index (PQOLI).

Main Methods:

• A two-phase survey study was conducted, involving a single-institution cohort and an anonymous web-based survey.
• Exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach α, and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess validity and reliability.
• The final instrument was refined to 33 items across 6 domains and 2 standalone items.

Main Results:

• The final Parotidectomy Quality of Life Index includes 33 items across 6 domains, demonstrating excellent internal validity (Cronbach α ≥ 0.77).
• The instrument showed very good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.82-0.93).
• Lower QOL scores were associated with younger age and malignant tumors.

Conclusions:

• The Parotidectomy Quality of Life Index is a validated instrument with excellent internal validity and test-retest reliability.
• This tool can aid quality improvement in clinical practice and serve as a key outcome measure in future parotidectomy trials.
• Further external validation is recommended.