The Bristol Foot Score: developing a patient-based foot-health measure

We sought to develop a patient-centered foot-health assessment tool by conducting in-depth interviews, focus groups, and surveys of relevant patient groups. A total of 400 hospital- and community-based podiatric patients took part in the development of the Bristol Foot Score, which was refined from a 41-item self-administered questionnaire to one containing 15 items. Podiatric patients easily understood the final questionnaire, and rates of completion were excellent. Overall reliability was high (Cronbach alpha = .9036), and application of the Bland and Altman technique suggested that the foot score produced stable measurements over time. Statistically significant differences were detected in scores before and after toenail surgery, indicating that the Bristol Foot Score is sensitive to change. A poor level of concordance was found between the Bristol Foot Score and a Chiropody Assessment Criteria Score routinely used by podiatrists to assess the need for podiatric care. The Bristol Foot Score reflects patients' perceptions of their own foot health, providing a useful additional tool for evaluating the efficacy of interventions and describing foot health within populations.