Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in children with sleep-disordered breathing undergoing adenotonsillectomy

Abstract

Objectives: Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) asses the health status or health related quality of life from the patient's perspective. The aims of this study were to assess the effect of adenotonsillectomy on symptoms and daily functioning in children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) using an electronic questionnaire, and to determine if this is a feasible method to evaluate treatment outcome in this patient population. Methods: The electronic questionnaire was administered to the parents of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for SDB on the day of surgery (T0), and two weeks (T1) and six months (T2) after surgery. The questionnaire scored symptoms in 5 different fields (snoring, sleepiness, behaviour, appetite, and apnoea). Higher scores indicated more pronounced symptoms. The score on T0 measured the preoperative symptoms. The main outcome measure (the change in scores between the postoperative measurements and the preoperative measurement) was analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Eighty-eight percent of invited patients participated in the study. Six percent had no access to internet, and another 6% did not wish to participate. Language problems were not reported. Response rates for T1 and T2 were 82.6% and 79.7% respectively. The T1 and T2 scores were significantly lower than the scores on T0 for snoring, behaviour, apnoea, and sleepiness. The T2 appetite score was significantly higher than on T0, which indicates an improvement of appetite. Conclusion: A comparison of pre- and postoperative results from an electronic disease-specific questionnaire indicated significantly improved symptoms and daily functioning in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for SDB. High participation and response rates indicated it was feasible to assess treatment outcome by means of an electronic questionnaire.