Methods
Study design
The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey of the experience of
people affected by olfactory disorders in accessing medical care. A
survey questionnaire was developed using a focus group meeting of the
public, patients and clinicians. The survey was then set live online and
ran for 16 weeks. It was promoted via social media internationally. As
the survey was anonymous, there was no ethical approval sought. As a
small charity, Fifth Sense does not have a research ethics committee,
nor is it required to by our regulatory body but the board of trustees
gave our full approval for the views of our beneficiaries to be captured
in this way.
Setting
The survey was open to anyone globally with access to the world wide web
and declaring themselves an affected individual and was promoted through
social media channels including the Fifth Sense website, and its
Facebook and Twitter accounts. The survey was launched via the website
with the following introduction: