Development and preliminary validation of the multiattribute rhinitis symptom utility index

The Rhinitis Symptom Utility Index (RSUI) was developed as a preference-bas ed measure of rhinitis symptoms. The RSUI consist of ten questions on the s everity and frequency of stuffy or blocked nose, runny nose, sneezing, itch ing, watery eyes and itching nose or throat over a 14 day period. A cross-s ectional survey of 100 adults with allergic rhinitis was completed, with da ta collected on rhinitis history and severity, physician-rated rhinitis sev erity, the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and the Health Uti lities Index Mark 2 (HUI2). The mean age of the patients was 37 +/- 11 year s and 60% were female and 38% had a diagnosis of asthma. A multiplicative m ultiattribute utility function was developed from patient-derived preferenc es for different rhinitis-related symptom states. The mean RSUI score for t his sample was 0.72 +/- 0.23, with a range of 0.15-1.0. Two week reproducib ility of the RSUI was weak (ICC = 0.40). The index differentiated patients by physician-rated severity (p < 0.05) and was correlated 0.35 (p < 0.001) with the HUI2 and -0.67 (p < 0.001) with the RQLQ total score. The RSUI is brief and easy to administer and the results of this study support its reli ability and validity. The modest reproducibility reflects the day to day va riability of rhinitis. The RSUI may be a useful patient outcome for clinica l trials and for cost-effectiveness studies comparing medical treatments fo r rhinitis.