The survey is completely anonymous and should take no longer than 10-15 minutes to complete. It is based on the UK healthcare system but it should still be relevant if you are based in another country. We would like contributions from people outside the UK as this data may help to show that this is a global issue. We’d also like to hear from parents of a child with a smell/taste disorder who have sought medical advice as it’s important that your voices are heard too.

Participants

Eligibility criteria

All members of the public self-reporting a loss or disturbance of olfaction and/or gustation were entitled to participate in the survey.

Sources and methods of selection of participants

Survey participants were able to access the survey themselves free of charge via the web-based platform SurveyMonkey. Participants were self-selecting and could participate from any country internationally.

Data sources/management and variables

The survey asked for basic demographics including age and sex. Participants were asked to declare the underlying cause for their smell loss. Further questions explored participants use of medical services, costs borne in doing so and any resistance encountered. See appendix 1 for details.

Bias

We aimed to reduce bias in responses by making the survey widely available but inevitably, those who are not online or have access to the aforementioned social media would not have seen this opportunity. Although the survey was initiated in the UK and Fifth Sense membership is predominantly UK based, the international availability aimed to derive a broader healthcare view across other healthcare systems.

Study size and Statistical Methods

As this was an exploratory study, no sample size was set. Due to the nature of the study, descriptive statistics only have been utilised in reporting the survey data.