Development of the West China Tinnitus Impact Inventory and Analysis of Its Reliability and Validity.
Qiang Wang, Yu Zhao, Yibo Wang and 2 others
PMID 39252157WHAT IT FOUND
The West China Tinnitus Impact Inventory reliably measures tinnitus severity in Chinese adults.
It uses 19 items to assess emotions, sleep, beliefs, and auditory processing. It correlates strongly with the existing THI-CM. The test-recheck reliability was acceptable. It helps distinguish cultural barriers to understanding from clinical issues.
Key findings
01The final scale consists of 19 items across four subscales: impact on emotion, impact on sleep, patients' beliefs, and impact on auditory processing ability.
02The scale showed acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
03Scores on the new scale correlated highly with the Chinese version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The number of items in each subscale is uneven, with only two items for auditory processing. The study did not determine the minimum clinically important difference, so you cannot yet use the score to define a specific threshold for treatment success. The scale has only been validated in Chinese patients at a single hospital, so its performance in other populations is unknown.
Declared interests
The research was supported by the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province. The funding organization had no role in the study design, analysis, or publication decision. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the WCTII is superior to the THI-CM for clinical decision-making. It is a valid alternative that correlates strongly with the THI-CM, but it has not been shown to be better at predicting treatment outcomes. Also, do not use the total score to diagnose hearing loss. The auditory processing subscale reflects the patient's perception of difficulty, not an objective measure of hearing acuity.