Validity of a patient-administered questionnaire for routine otolaryngology admissions

In this study the accuracy of a questionnaire filled in by 109 parents of children admitted for routine ENT surgery was compared with the well recognized verbal clerking. A major problem in communication between doctors and parents was highlighted, as just 44% of the parents were able to state the operation their children were admitted for. The study also showed that it is impossible to rely on parents to give the information required in the form of replies to questionnaires as the sensitivity of the questions designed to recognize risk factors was poor.