Return to activity is a multi-faceted variable, not a discrete yes-no

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation science
• Patient-reported outcomes
• Clinical measurement

Background:

• Assessing return to activity post-injury is crucial for evaluating treatment effectiveness.
• Traditional measures often oversimplify return to activity as a binary outcome.
• A nuanced understanding requires evaluating multiple facets of activity participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a patient-reported outcome measure for tracking return to activity after injury.
• To create a tool that acknowledges the complexity of activity participation beyond a simple yes/no.
• To provide a comprehensive understanding of treatment outcomes related to activity participation.

Main Methods:

• Item development and evaluation were conducted.
• The final 5-item set was tested in an observational clinical trial.
• Descriptive statistics and test-re-test reliability (intra-class correlation, percent agreement) were used.

Main Results:

• A 5-item scale, the Minnesota Activity Scale (MAS), was developed.
• The MAS assesses preferred activity, participation frequency, impact of change, and limitations.
• Over 30% reported changes in activity unrelated to injury, highlighting the need for multifactorial assessment.

Conclusions:

• The Minnesota Activity Scale (MAS) provides standardized questions for comprehensive return to activity assessment.
• It serves as a valuable marker of treatment effectiveness.
• The scale captures the multifaceted nature of activity participation post-injury.