Clinical evaluation of the WOMAC 3.0 OA Index in numeric rating scale format using a computerized touch screen...

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index is a validated tool for assessing osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip and knee.
• The index measures pain, stiffness, and physical function through a self-administered questionnaire.
• Previous validation was limited to a paper-based format.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the computerized WOMAC 3.0 using a numerical rating scale on a touch screen.
• To assess the feasibility of immediate evaluation and integration of multimedia (cartoons, audio) in the digital format.
• To compare the performance of the computerized WOMAC with its paper-based counterpart.

Main Methods:

• Fifty patients with radiographically confirmed hip or knee OA were enrolled.
• Participants completed both the paper and computerized versions of the WOMAC index.
• Patients were randomized to either the paper or computerized format first to mitigate order effects.

Main Results:

• High intra-class correlation coefficients (0.915 for pain, 0.745 for stiffness, 0.940 for function) indicate strong agreement between versions.
• Spearman correlation coefficients (0.88 for pain, 0.77 for stiffness, 0.87 for function) further support the comparability of the two formats.
• The computerized version demonstrated comparable validity to the paper-based WOMAC across all three domains.

Conclusions:

• The computerized WOMAC OA index 3.0 is a valid and reliable alternative to the paper-based version.
• This digital format provides immediate results, facilitating quicker clinical decision-making.
• The computerized version allows for direct comparison with previous patient assessments, aiding in monitoring disease progression.