Table 2.

EOS-24 presented with data for recall period selection and item reduction. Table contains all diagnoses (n = 153).

EOS-24	Item group	Comparison of Recall periods						Recall period of 3 months
Original items (24 pc.)		2 weeks mean (SD)		3 months mean (SD)		6 months mean (SD)		Min	Max	% N (Q1–Q21) or 0 (Q22–24)	ITC
1. I have had pain in my ear.	Ear symptoms	0.65	(0.98)	0.95	(1.12)	1.12	(1.24)	0	4	33.7	0.527
2. I have had an itch in my ear.	Ear symptoms	0.99	(1.20)	1.02	(1.21)	1.09	(1.26)	0	4	27.0	0.541
3. I have felt pressure in my ear.	Ear symptoms	0.87	(1.16)	1.00	(1.12)	1.03	(1.14)	0	4	31.3	0.632
4. I have felt moisture in my ear.	Ear symptoms	0.86	(1.22)	0.97	(1.19)	1.03	(1.29)	0	4	31.9	0.543
5. I have had discharge in my ear.	Ear symptoms	0.63	(1.15)	0.75	(1.14)	0.90	(1.30)	0	4	42.3	0.453
6. I have heard a buzzing or ringing sound in my ear (tinnitus).	Hearing	1.20	(1.16)	1.31	(1.14)	1.38	(1.15)	0	4	17.8	0.431
7. I have experienced dizziness or disequilibrium.	Balancea	0.53	(0.88)	0.66	(0.95)	0.69	(1.02)	0	4	38.0	0.343
8. I have experienced vertigo.	Balancea	0.25	(0.67)	0.24	(0.60)	0.30	(0.74)	0	3b	63.2c	0.160d
9. My hearing has worsened.	Hearing	1.50	(1.31)	1.64	(1.32)	1.62	(1.29)	0	4	17.8	0.639
10. I have had problems hearing because of background noise.	Hearing	1.67	(1.39)	1.75	(1.37)	1.71	(1.34)	0	4	16.6	0.624
11. I have had difficulty locating the direction of a sound.	Hearing	1.31	(1.39)	1.40	(1.38)	1.32	(1.33)	0	4	26.4	0.651
12. I have been using a hearing aid due to hearing loss. I find this challenging.	Hearing	0.14	(0.61)	0.13	(0.59)	0.12	(0.53)	0	4	78.5c	0.233d
13. I have had difficulty hearing a phone or an alarm clock.	Hearing	0.70	(1.10)	0.73	(1.11)	0.71	(1.09)	0	4	47.9c	0.555
14. I have had trouble in group discussions because of my hearing.	Hearing	1.18	(1.29)	1.25	(1.28)	1.16	(1.24)	0	4	25.2	0.654
15. Protecting my ear from water has restricted my life. [If you do not protect your ear from water, select “DCM.”]	Need for carea	0.63	(1.14)	0.64	(1.14)	0.65	(1.13)	0	4	49.1c	0.179d
16. Because of my ear problems, I do not socially interact as much with other people.	Quality of life	0.80	(1.12)	0.86	(1.15)	0.78	(1.07)	0	4	37.4	0.654
17. Because of my ear problems, I face challenges in my daily activities/at school/at work.	Quality of life	0.92	(1.19)	1.04	(1.20)	1.03	(1.16)	0	4	31.9	0.667
18. Symptoms related to my ears limit my hobbies.	Quality of life	0.59	(1.04)	0.69	(1.09)	0.68	(1.10)	0	4	40.5	0.502
19. I fear that the symptoms related to my ears will worsen in the future.	Quality of life	1.44	(1.37)	1.53	(1.34)	1.48	(1.35)	0	4	17.2	0.581
20. My ear problems make me sad.	Quality of life	0.92	(1.16)	1.02	(1.22)	1.03	(1.23)	0	4	31.3	0.607
21. I feel like my ear problems have negatively affected my quality of life.	Quality of life	1.10	(1.15)	1.24	(1.15)	1.19	(1.16)	0	4	23.3	0.709
22. I have consulted a doctor because of my ear problems.	Need for carea	0.76	(0.89)	1.40	(1.22)	1.86	(1.34)	0	4	26.4	0.304
23. I have used oral antibiotics because of my ear problems.	Need for carea	0.06	(0.33)	0.25	(0.70)	0.45	(0.93)	0	4	76.1c	0.324
24. I have used antibiotic ear drops (as prescribed).	Need for carea	0.35	(0.68)	0.69	(1.10)	1.08	(1.36)	0	4	58.3c	0.366

^aGroup includes Balance and Need for care

^bwhole scale was not used from 0 to 4 (Q8)

^c% “DCM” (“Doesn’t concern me”) and 0 exceeds 50 in most diagnostic groups (Q8, Q12, Q13, Q23)

^dITC is below 0.3 in most diagnosis groups (Q8).