Self-assessment of Tonsil Size
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Tonsillar Hypertrophy. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Finland
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Validity of Patients' Self-assessment of Tonsil Size
Overview
The participants receive instructions on two tonsil size classification scales and then, using a tongue depressor as well as their mobile phone camera and/or a flashlight and a mirror, the participants assess the size of their own tonsils on two scales. After the self-assessment, a medical student and two ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists evaluate the participants' tonsil size using a tongue depressor and a headlamp, applying the same scales. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that patient self-assessment constitutes a sufficiently accurate method for evaluating tonsil size. Furthermore, it aims to show that patients experiencing conditions such as sleep apnea or swallowing difficulties can, on the basis of their own assessment, be appropriately referred to an otolaryngologist for surgical evaluation, thereby conserving healthcare resources and reducing the time burden for patients.
Detailed description
A total of 70 to 100 medical students from the first to third year of study will be recruited beginning in 2025, with recruitment extended into 2026 if necessary. Participants will be provided with a plain-language summary of the research plan and will be asked to provide written informed consent to participate.
The investigators hypothesize that both participants and a trained medical student will be able to assess tonsil size-categorizing them as small, medium, or large, as well as grading them on a 0-4 scale-with sufficient agreement compared to professional evaluation, defined as an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of at least 0.60.
Primary outcome measures
- Sufficient intraclass correlation coefficient [Time frame: At enrollment (day 1)]
Eligibility criteria
Exclusion criteria
- Experience in clinical work with patients
- Prior tonsillectomy
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
Finland · 1 center
- Turku University Hospital — Turku
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07205653 · T2025/10790