DHI Cutoff

[Aissa Beaton]

Hi,

For the DHI the cutoff scores on the master list state they are for vestibular dysfunction and give the cutoff scores
Mild perception of handicap: 0-30
Moderate perception of handicap: 31-60
Severe perception of handicap: ≥61

However the cutoff score on the DHI pdf of Shirely Ryan give different cutoff scores
16-34 Points (mild handicap)
36-52 Points (moderate handicap)
54+ Points (severe handicap)

Which one would be correct to use when studying outcome measures? Are the Shirley Ryan scores more generalized vs the vestibular dysfunction cutoff scores?

[Chrissy Durrough Lugge]

Hi Aissa!

Great question! I see both DHI cutoffs used currently in the literature and in clinician resources across disciplines (PT, audiology, etc.). It looks like the 0-30/31-60/>61 cutoffs were established more recently (2004) than the 16-34/36-54/>54 (1997).

Here’s an excerpt from this article summarizing the history of the DHI and its score cutoffs:
“In 1990, Jacobson and Newman (1) developed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). The motivation for the undertaking was to develop a self-report instrument capable of quantifying the severity of physical symptoms, restrictions in daily activities, and emotional symptoms related to patients’ dizziness and unsteadiness. Kinney et al. (2) created severity categories in which total DHI scores of 0–14 represented no handicap, 16–34 indicated mild handicap, 36–52 indicated moderate handicap, and greater than 54 indicated severe handicap. Whitney et al. (3) established three severity categories with ranges of 0–30 for no to mild handicap, 32–60 for moderate handicap, and greater than 60 for severe handicap.”

The newer cutoffs are cleaner and easier to remember – I’d hope there wouldn’t be questions falling in the overlapping ranges!

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