A structured questionnaire has a defined purpose
An everyday diary records events as they happen. A questionnaire asks a defined set of questions using a specified format. Keeping those jobs distinct helps avoid treating a homemade log as though it were a validated clinical measure.
Washington University provides the official Sino-Nasal Outcome Test licensing information. That is the starting point for an authorized instrument and its terms. A questionnaire found online may not come with the right permissions, version or instructions for the setting in which someone wants to use it. Check the official source before copying it into an app, a form or a handout.
Source: Washington University: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test licensing
Keep the questionnaire and the chronology separate
A diary can preserve details that are easy to forget: when a change began, which day was missed, or how a routine was actually followed. A questionnaire is completed according to its own instructions. One does not automatically replace the other, and the labels on a personal diary should not be converted into a clinical score.
| Record | What it can preserve | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Daily diary | Dates, observations, uncertainty and practical effects | That a personal scale is validated |
| Authorized questionnaire | Responses made using its defined instructions | That a total identifies a diagnosis |
| Visit summary | The points you want to discuss | That summarizing is clinical interpretation |
Sources: Washington University: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test licensing; AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
Questions to ask when your clinic uses it
If a clinic asks you to complete SNOT-22, follow the version and instructions it supplies. If wording is unclear, ask the care team rather than guessing how to reinterpret a question. Tell them if an entry was missed or if assistance was needed. These details help the team understand the record you actually completed.
Useful questions include: What is this questionnaire being used to discuss? When should I complete it? How will you compare it with an earlier response? Which version should I use? Who can explain what the result means in the context of my symptoms and assessment?
A score is one part of a clinical conversation. This page does not provide a diagnostic threshold, treatment recommendation, scoring calculator or interpretation of an individual result. A clinician can explain how the questionnaire fits the particular consultation.
Sources: Washington University: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test licensing; AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
Where to find an authorized version
Use the official Washington University site for current information about authorized versions and permissions. If you need another copy, a translation or help completing the form, ask your clinic which version it uses and how to obtain it. Keep the instructions with the questionnaire so you can refer back to them.
AirBloom is in development and the simple diary worksheets are original tracking tools. They should not be presented as SNOT-22, as a substitute for a clinic’s instrument, or as a clinically validated outcome measure. Bring your dated observations and ask the clinic which additional record would be useful. Clinical review of this explainer is pending.
Source: Washington University: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test licensing
Sources & further reading
- Washington University: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test licensing
- AAO-HNS: Clinical Practice Guideline, Adult Sinusitis Update (2025)
This guide provides general education, not individual medical advice. It has not been clinically reviewed. Talk to a qualified clinician about persistent, new or worsening symptoms. Follow your local emergency guidance for urgent concerns.
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AirBloom is in development for iOS and Android, bringing symptom records and existing routines into one place. Join the early-access waitlist.