Which patient-reported outcomes shall we use in hand surgery?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Hand Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are crucial for evaluating treatment effectiveness in clinical practice and research.
• A diverse range of PROMs exists for assessing hand and upper-extremity conditions.
• Selecting the appropriate PROM is vital for reliable and valid outcome assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of commonly used patient-reported outcome measures in hand surgery.
• To highlight instruments with established psychometric properties for hand-specific, upper-extremity specific, and general quality of life assessments.
• To assist clinicians and researchers in choosing the most suitable PROM for patients with hand conditions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing patient-reported outcome measures relevant to hand surgery.
• Evaluation of the psychometric properties of identified instruments.
• Development of a checklist and decision tree to aid in instrument selection.

Main Results:

• Identification and categorization of prevalent hand-specific, upper-extremity specific, and general quality of life PROMs.
• Summary of the strengths and limitations of each instrument based on psychometric evidence.
• Provision of practical tools (checklist and decision tree) for PROM selection.

Conclusions:

• The selection of an appropriate PROM is critical for accurate outcome assessment in hand surgery.
• The provided overview, checklist, and decision tree can guide healthcare professionals in choosing the most suitable instrument for their patients.
• Standardized use of validated PROMs enhances the quality of care and research in hand surgery.