Measurement properties of physical function scales validated for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review of the literature

Van, Oude, Ten, Taal Erik

Description

The aim of this study was to systematically review the content validity and measurement properties of all physical function (PF) scales which are currently validated for use with patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Systematic literature searches were performed in the Scopus and PubMed databases to identify articles on the development or psychometric evaluation of PF scales for patients with RA. The content validity of included scales was evaluated by linking their items to the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF). Furthermore, available evidence of the reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability of the included scales was rated according to published quality criteria. Results The search identified 26 questionnaires with PF scales. Ten questionnaires were rated to have adequate content validity. Construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness was rated favourably for respectively 15, 11, 5, and 6 of the investigated scales. Information about the absolute measurement error and minimal important change scores were rarely reported. Conclusion Based on this literature review, the disease-specificHAQ and the generic SF-36 can currently be most confidently recommended to measure PF in RA for most research purposes. The HAQ, however, was frequently associated with considerable ceiling effects while the SF-36 has limited content coverage. Alternative scales that might be better suited for specific research purposes are identified along with future directions for research.

Sujets

• Disability
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psychometrics
• Validity
• Reliability
• Responsiveness

Informations

• Publié par: biomed
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 6
• Langue: English

Extrait

Oude Voshaar et al . Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2011, 9 :99 http://www.hqlo.com/content/9/1/99

R E S E A R C H Open Access Measurement properties of physical function scales validated for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review of the literature Martijn AH Oude Voshaar 1* , Peter M ten Klooster 1 , Erik Taal 1 and Mart AFJ van de Laar 1,2

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to systematically review the content validity and measurement properties of all physical function (PF) scales which are currently validated for use with patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Systematic literature searches were performed in the Scopus and PubMed databases to identify articles on the development or psychometric evaluation of PF scales for patients with RA. The content validity of included scales was evaluated by linking their items to the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF). Furthermore, available evidence of the reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability of the included scales was rated according to published quality criteria. Results: The search identified 26 questionnaires with PF scales. Ten questionnaires were rated to have adequate content validity. Construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness was rated favourably for respectively 15, 11, 5, and 6 of the investigated scales. Information about the absolute measurement error and minimal important change scores were rarely reported. Conclusion: Based on this literature review, the disease-specificHAQ and the generic SF-36 can currently be most confidently recommended to measure PF in RA for most research purposes. The HAQ, however, was frequently associated with considerable ceiling effects while the SF-36 has limited content coverage. Alternative scales that might be better suited for specific research purposes are identified along with future directions for research. Keywords: Physical function, disability, rheumatoid arthritis, psychometric, validity, reliability, responsiveness, mea- surement properties

Background PF scales that have been validated for use in patients Patients ’ assessment of physical function (PF) is a core  with RA over the years [6-11]. However, previous efforts outcome domain of disease status in rheumatoid arthri- have been limited to descriptive reviews of well-known tis (RA)[1,2]. Physical function scales are used in the instruments or non-systematic selections of the available majority of clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of literature on their measure ment properties. To date, treatment and have become established instruments for there are no comprehensive studies available that sys- assessing health outcomes in clinical practice and obser- tematically evaluate the evidence for the quality of the vational studies as well [3-5].  measurement properties of all PF scales that are vali- A number of efforts have currently been undertaken dated for patients with RA. F urthermore, until recently to compare the variety of disease-specific and generic there was no comprehensive conceptual framework available to define physical function in RA and with rres nd and comprehensiveness of * 1 A C rt o hritis po Cent e e n r c T e: we A. n H t . e O , u U d n e iv V e o r s si h t a y ar o @ f u T t w w e e n n t t e e , .n D l epartmentofPsychology, t w h h e ic it h e t m o s j o u f dg P e F t s h c e al r e e s l . ev T a h n e c r e efore,contentvaliditycould Health and Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands only be evaluated indirectly in previous efforts, for Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © 2011 Oude Voshaar et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.