@article{ref1,
title="Towards a specific outcome instrument for spinal trauma - how to measure function and health",
journal="Spine",
year="2015",
author="Sadiqi, Said and Lehr, A. Mechteld and Post, Marcel W. and Vaccaro, Alexander R. and Dvorak, Marcel F. and Oner, F. Cumhur",
volume="40",
number="10",
pages="E578-86",
abstract="Study Design. Validation study.<br><br>OBJECTIVE. To investigate the most valid, reliable, and comprehensible response scale for spinal trauma patients to compare their current level of function and health with their pre-injury state.Summary of Background Data. In the context of a main project of the AOSpine Knowledge Forum Trauma to develop a disease specific outcome instrument for adult spinal trauma patients, the need to identify a response scale that uniquely reflects the degree to which a spine trauma patient has returned to his or her pre-injury state is crucial.<br><br>METHODS. In the first phase, three different question formats and three different response formats were investigated in a questionnaire, which was administered twice. Based on the results of the first phase, in the second phase a modified questionnaire was administered once to a second group of patients to investigate five different response formats: 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11), 0-100 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-101), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), and Adjective Scale (AS). All patients were interviewed in a semi-structured fashion to identify their preferences. Multiple statistical analyses were performed: test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity.<br><br>RESULTS. Twenty eligible patients were enrolled in the first phase and 59 in the second phase. The initial phase revealed the highest preference for one specific question format (60.0% and 86.7% after the first and second administration of the questionnaire, respectively). The second phase showed the VRS as the most preferred response format (35.6%). The semi-structured interviews revealed that overall, a subgroup of patients preferred a verbal response format (42.4%), and another group a numerical response format (49.1%). The statistical analysis showed good to excellent psychometric properties for all formats.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS. The most preferred question and response formats were identified for use in a disease specific outcome instrument for spinal trauma patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0362-2436",
doi="10.1097/BRS.0000000000000852",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000000852"
}