Patient-Reported Outcomes for Fractures of the Acetabulum: A Comparison Between Patient-Reported Outcomes Information...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Acetabulum fractures require validated outcome instruments for patient assessment.
• Existing instruments like SF-36 and SMFA have limitations in efficiency.
• The Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) offers potential alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficiency and validity of PROMIS instruments against established outcome measures for acetabulum fracture patients.
• To evaluate correlations, floor/ceiling effects, and completion times of PROMIS versus SF-36 and SMFA.
• To assess the influence of patient demographics on survey completion time.

Main Methods:

• Adult patients with surgically treated acetabulum fractures completed PROMIS Mobility, PROMIS Physical Function, SF-36, and SMFA in a randomized order.
• Primary outcomes included instrument correlations, floor/ceiling effects, and survey completion time.
• Demographic factors (age, education, race) were analyzed for their impact on completion time.

Main Results:

• Strong correlations were found between PROMIS instruments and SMFA/SF-36 (r=0.73-0.86).
• PROMIS instruments were significantly faster to complete (56-59 seconds) compared to SF-36 (5 min 22 sec) and SMFA (6 min 35 sec).
• Older age and African American race were associated with longer completion times for SF-36 and SMFA.

Conclusions:

• PROMIS Mobility and Physical Function surveys are more efficient for evaluating acetabulum fracture patients.
• Convergent validity of PROMIS instruments is strong, though weaker in long-term follow-up.
• Further research is recommended for long-term outcome assessment with PROMIS instruments.