Predictive validity of the Belfast rule of thumb and patient-reported outcomes following ossiculoplasty

The Belfast Rule of Thumb (BRT) is a tool used to estimate subjective hearing improvement based on binaural hearing following middle ear surgery, however, evidence for its association with patient-reported outcomes remains limited. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To assess the predictive validity of BRT for subjective hearing improvement following ossiculoplasty and to identify additional factors influencing surgical satisfaction....

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Surgeons and audiologists counseling patients before ossiculoplasty should consider supplementing the Belfast Rule of Thumb with patient-reported outcome measures, as its predictive validity for subjective hearing improvement may be limited.

Validating or challenging pre-surgical prediction tools like the Belfast Rule of Thumb is important for improving shared decision-making and setting realistic patient expectations before middle-ear surgery.

1. 01Study evaluated the Belfast Rule of Thumb as a predictor of subjective outcomes after ossiculoplasty (middle-ear bone repair surgery).
2. 02Both audiometric and patient-reported outcomes were assessed.
3. 03Predictive validity of the rule for patient-reported hearing improvement was examined.
4. 04Findings have direct implications for pre-surgical patient counseling.
5. 05Adds to literature questioning reliance on audiometric predictors alone for surgical outcomes.

PMID

42545210

DOI

10.1080/00016489.2026.2705490.

Journal

Acta Oto-Laryngologica

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Patients undergoing ossiculoplasty (middle-ear ossicular chain reconstruction surgery)

Intervention

Belfast Rule of Thumb applied as a pre-surgical hearing outcome prediction tool

Comparator

Patient-reported outcome measures post-ossiculoplasty