Validation of a novel patient-reported outcome measure for parathyroid and thyroid disease (PROMPT)

Abstract Background Patient-reported outcome measures are being used increasingly to assess disease severity and response to surgery. The purpose of this study was to create and validate a patient-reported outcome measure for symptoms of thyroid enlargement and hyperparathyroidism, 2 conditions where the presence of preoperative symptoms and response to surgery is often questioned. Methods A questionnaire reviewing common symptoms was developed from a literature review and expert opinion. Internal validity, reliability, and initial responsiveness to surgery were evaluated. Results Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Parathyroid and Thyroid Disease (PROMPT) consists of 30 items: 10 compressive items and 20 hyperparathyroidism items; we evaluated 302 surveys collected over 10 months. PROMPT showed high internal consistency for compressive and hyperparathyroid constructs (Cronbach's α 0.84 and 0.95). Constructs were scored from 0–100, with greater scores corresponding to increased severity of symptoms. Preoperatively, patients with a goiter demonstrated greater compressive scores compared with other thyroid patients and hyperparathyroid patients (goiter, 47.5; nodule/other, 38.4; hyperparathyroid, 29.8; P P  = .0470). Conclusion We validated a novel measure for symptoms of hyperparathyroidism and goiter. PROMPT demonstrates high internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and preliminary analysis, which suggests that it is sensitive to change after surgery.