It is important that patients have a good understanding of surgery-related risks, particularly for mastoid surgery, which exposes patients to the risk of very serious complications, despite addressing conditions which often have only minor symptoms.

A patient information leaflet describing the risks of mastoid surgery was prepared. However, the Hospital Patient Advice and Liaison Services team thought it was too long and complicated. It was introduced unchanged. Fifty-four consecutive mastoidectomy patients were given a questionnaire asking for their opinion of the leaflet. The leaflet was also assessed with readability formulae and the Ensuring Quality Information for Patients tool.

Ninety-eight per cent of respondents thought the leaflet's writing style was easy to understand. The majority (96 per cent) thought the length was ‘just right’. The 7 readability formulae used established readability at a grade 9 level (i.e. appropriate for a reading age of 13–15 years). The Ensuring Quality Information for Patients score was 87.5 per cent.

Despite the drive to simplify patient information leaflets, quite detailed information is sometimes required. A style which is too simple may be perceived as patronising and may encourage patients to underestimate potential risks. It is important to ask patients their opinion.

This study calculated the comparability of two throat symptom assessment scales devised to evaluate either laryngopharyngeal reflux or globus.

United Kingdom hospital out-patient departments.

A total of 334 subjects, with and without throat symptoms, completed the Reflux Symptom Index and/or the Glasgow and Edinburgh Throat Scale. The following were calculated for the resultant data: Cronbach's α coefficient, principal component analysis, Kaiser normalisation, varimax and oblimin rotation, and eigenvalues.

Analysis of data from the Reflux Symptom Index and the Glasgow and Edinburgh Throat Scale revealed clearly similar symptom domains regarding (1) coughing and blockage, and (2) globus or postnasal drip or throat-clearing, as did combined analysis of their amalgamated items. Both instruments had good overall internal consistency (α = 0.75 and 0.81, respectively). The ‘heartburn or reflux’ item in the Reflux Symptom Index mapped poorly to each underlying factor.

The most commonly used laryngopharyngeal reflux and globus assessment questionnaires appear to detect very similar symptom clusters. The management of throat disorders may previously have been over-reliant on the presenting pattern of throat symptoms. Our findings indicate a need to revisit the traditional clinical classification of throat symptoms.