Qualitative comparison of patient views of vHIT and caloric test.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative investigation comparing patients’ views on video head impulse testing (vHIT) and water caloric irrigation.
IRAS ID
184113
Contact name
Rosemary D Monk
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Aston University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 15 days
Research summary
Both the video head impulse test (vHIT) and caloric irrigation are used to assess the health of the horizontal vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) in Audiology vestibular assessment clinics. The caloric test is a longstanding investigation involving irrigation of the ears with water and can be noxious to patients. vHIT testing is a new technology that comprises of brief head rotations which is more tolerable for patients. Previous research has focused on the sensitivity and specificity of vHIT compared to the caloric test to ascertain whether vHIT is suitable to supplement caloric irrigation or perhaps replace it. While there is a general consensus among clinicians that caloric testing is unpleasant for patients, there has been no qualitative research in this area. Therefore this research project will investigate and compare patients’ perceptions of each test. The aim is to contribute to the existing quantitative research in this area with regard to how feasible it could be to supplement or replace caloric testing with vHIT.
All patients aged 18 years and older who are booked a vestibular assessment appointment will be sent a participant information letter. Potential participants will be considered eligible if they undergo both caloric irrigation and vHIT in their vestibular assessment. A balance assessment appointment will generally include the performance of caloric irrigation and vHIT, along with bedside vestibular assessments, positional testing and videonystagmography. After the tests are completed, patients will be asked if they would like to participate in this study. Each subject will be interviewed once for approximately 30-40 minutes in the Audiology department at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, shortly after their balance assessment. Interviews will be audio-recorded and anonymously transcribed prior to data analysis. The grounded theory approach will be adopted when analysing the transcripts. This study is expected to end in May 2016.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0886
Date of REC Opinion
2 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion