Software version of Roland Morris Disability questionnaire for outcome assessment in low back pain.
Sumeet G Pawar1, P S Ramani1, Apurva Prasad1
1a Department of Neuro Spinal Surgery , Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre , Mumbai , India.
Neurological Research
|March 25, 2017
Summary
The software version of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) is equivalent to the paper version for assessing patient outcomes. This digital tool offers comparable accuracy and patient preference, making it suitable for research and clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
- Clinical Software Validation
Background:
- Developing software versions of validated paper-based patient-reported outcome measures can enhance efficiency.
- Equivalence between paper and digital formats must be rigorously tested.
- The Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) is a key tool for assessing back pain-related disability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the equivalence between the paper and software versions of the RMDQ.
- To assess patient acceptability of the software version of the RMDQ.
- To determine the reliability and validity of a digital RMDQ for clinical use.
Main Methods:
- A within-subject, cross-over equivalence study design was employed.
- Fifty-two patients with back pain completed both paper and software RMDQ versions in a randomized order.
- Participants were recruited from a neurosurgery outpatient department.
Main Results:
- High agreement was observed between the paper and software RMDQ versions (ICC 0.994).
- The software version demonstrated high sensitivity (84%) and specificity (88%).
- A significant majority of patients (69.2%) preferred the software version.
Conclusions:
- The software version of the RMDQ is comparable to its paper counterpart.
- The digital RMDQ is a reliable and acceptable tool for patient assessment.
- This validated software version can be effectively utilized in epidemiological studies and long-term patient follow-up.
