The VCDQ - a Questionnaire for symptom monitoring in vocal cord dysfunction

Summary Background Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) typically involves abnormal adduction of the vocal cords during inspiration, mimics the symptoms of asthma and leads to the prescription of ineffective medications. Objective We aimed to develop a clinical tool to monitor symptoms and response to treatment in confirmed VCD. Methods We collated symptoms of VCD from focus groups comprising patients and healthcare professionals; phrases describing these symptoms were assessed for face validity and internal correlation and rated for importance. The resultant 12‐item questionnaire (VCDQ) rated the impact of each on a 5‐point Likert scale (total score range 12–60) and was tested for reliability, concurrent validity and performance in 31 patients with endoscopically confirmed VCD (± asthma), 29 asthmatics with no history of VCD and 14 healthy controls. We assessed response to speech and language therapy and the minimal important difference by measuring the VCDQ pre‐ and post‐ therapy in a 20 new patients. Results The VCDQ had excellent test–retest reliability and differentiated VCD vs. healthy (Mann–Whitney U‐test: z = −5.390, P