Inter-rater reliability of modified hand mobility in scleroderma test.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting collagen production, microvasculature, and causing fibrosis.
• Hand involvement, characterized by skin thickening and reduced mobility, is common in SSc progression.
• Accurate assessment of hand mobility is crucial for managing SSc patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the modified hand mobility in scleroderma (mHAMIS) test.
• To determine if the mHAMIS test provides consistent measurements between different examiners.
• To validate the mHAMIS test for use in clinical research and practice for SSc.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five female SSc patients were assessed by two physiotherapists with varying experience levels.
• Exclusion criteria included finger flexion contractures or recent hand surgery.
• Inter-rater reliability was quantified using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Main Results:

• The mHAMIS test demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability for both dominant (ICC=0.92) and non-dominant hands (ICC=0.93).
• High ICC values indicate strong agreement between the two physiotherapists' assessments.
• The results suggest the mHAMIS test is a reliable tool for measuring hand mobility in SSc.

Conclusions:

• The mHAMIS test exhibits excellent inter-rater reliability.
• This study validates the mHAMIS test as a dependable instrument for assessing hand mobility in systemic sclerosis.
• The findings support the use of the mHAMIS test in clinical trials without introducing examiner bias.