[Use of questionnaires in outcome measurement in hand surgery]

An assessment of outcomes of the treatment of the diseases and injuries to the hand should include both objective parameters, i.e. range of motion or grip strength, and subjective parameters i.e. intensity of complaints or dexterity of the hand in various tasks of daily activity. Questionnaires were developed to evaluate subjective parameters in objective and systematic manner. They indeed allow us to better apprehend what is important from our patients' perspective. Questionnaire (called also form or test) is a list of queries concerning the issue being a subject of the assessment. The queries are designed in the way allowing answers to imply an important and possible objective information on the problem of interest. The objective of this article was to attract notice on the problems associated with the use of questionnaires in a research, with particular attention on hand surgery. Authors referred to the parameters which characterise these instruments: responsiveness, validity and reliability. Brief descriptions of most commonly used forms were provided, including DASH, Levine, PEM, Michigan and CISS. Shortcomings and pitfalls associated with the use of questionnaires and possible sources of bias were emphasised, e.g. difficulties in precise assignation of scores, answering some particular questions and accuracy of the completion of the form. Attention was paid on the choice of the questionnaire to be well-matched for an aim of a given research project both in substantial and formal manner. An opinion was supported that modem research projects measuring outcomes in hand surgery must include questionnaires as an obligatory component of a complex assessment.