Developing a minimum data set for the musculoskeletal physical therapy registry.

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy
• Health Informatics
• Data Standardization

Background:

• Musculoskeletal disorders are a significant global health concern.
• Physical therapy is crucial for managing pain and improving quality of life.
• A standardized minimum data set (MDS) is needed for effective data collection and decision-making in musculoskeletal physical therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive and valid minimum data set (MDS) for a musculoskeletal physical therapy registry.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in four phases: systematic review, focus group discussions, content validity and reliability testing, and the Delphi technique.
• Systematic review of five databases and Google search to identify relevant data elements.
• Expert validation using focus groups, content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and two rounds of the Delphi technique.

Main Results:

• The systematic review identified 138 data elements, refined to 16 through expert consensus.
• High content validity (CVR=0.92, CVI=0.98) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.98, ICC=0.89) were achieved.
• The final MDS comprises 145 data elements, categorized into administrative (42 elements) and clinical (103 elements).

Conclusions:

• The developed MDS provides a standardized framework for collecting uniform data in musculoskeletal physical therapy.
• This tool supports evidence-based practice by enabling evaluation of interventions, guideline development, performance assessment, and clinical research.
• Implementation of the MDS can enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of physical therapy services.