Reliability and validity of a self-report of hand function in persons with rheumatoid arthritis

The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability and the concurrent validity of the Duruöz Hand Index (DHI) in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty participants with RA and no other major medical problems completed the DHI, a self-report of hand function, at two points in time to assess test-retest reliability. To determine concurrent validity, participants were also administered three performance-based tests, the Arthritis Hand Function Test (AHFT), the Hand Mobility in Scleroderma Test (HAMIS), and the Keitel Functional Test (KFT), and two self-report questionnaires of functional ability, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and the Scleroderma Functional Assessment Questionnaire (SFAQ). Test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficients for the DHI ranged from 0.83 to 0.90. Scores on the DHI were significantly correlated with scores on the AHFT (r(s)=0.36-0.54), the HAMIS (r(s)=0.39), the HAQ (r(s)=0.78), the HAMIS (r(s)=0.39), and the SFAQ (r(s)=0.85). Scores on the DHI did not correlate with KFT scores. The results from this study show the DHI to be a reliable and valid test for hand function in persons with RA.