P053 The ecological validity of the Epworth sleepiness scale

Abstract Background The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a commonly used questionnaire aimed to qualify subjective sleep propensity; however, there are notable limitations of the task, in particular, ambiguous terminology and the use of non-generalisable scenarios, which may contribute to the ambiguous relationships between the ESS and objective testing found in prior research. As a first step in a larger project, we aim to conduct structured interviews to assess patient understanding and interpretation of the ESS, and to identify potential ambiguities in wording and scenarios. Methods This is a single centre prospective qualitative study with participants recruited from sleep clinics. Patients, who are asked to fill out an ESS in clinic as part of usual clinical requirement, are approached by a research assistant for their interest in participating in the study. Enrolled participants will then be interviewed by the research assistant, in a structured manner, with questions pertaining to their understanding of each item on the ESS and the reasoning behind their respective scoring. The interview responses will be analysed with qualitative thematic analysis incorporating applied linguistics. Progress to Date Local ethics application has been approved. We estimate data collection will take approximately 1 month, with an aim of recruitment of 30 participants. Intended outcome and impact Findings from the study intend to identify areas of ambiguity or issues of relevance within the ESS with subsequent follow-up studies planned to test proposed wording modifications, procure psychometrics of the modified test, and assess for circadian effects therein.