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A Grip Ability Test for use in rheumatology practice

B Dellhag¹, A Bjelle

¹Department of Occupational Therapy, Sahlgren University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Journal of Rheumatology

|August 1, 1995

Summary

The new Grip Ability Test (GAT) reliably measures hand function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This quick, valid test accurately assesses changes in hand function for individuals with RA.

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Area of Science:

Rheumatology
Hand Function Assessment
Clinical Evaluation

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) significantly impacts hand function, necessitating reliable clinical evaluation tools.
Existing tests may not fully capture the nuances of daily living activities affected by RA.
The Grip Function Test (GFT) provides a basis for developing more specific hand function assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a Grip Ability Test (GAT) for assessing hand function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
To modify the Grip Function Test (GFT) using activities of daily living relevant to RA.
To evaluate the GAT's reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change in RA patients.

Main Methods:

Selected GAT items from the GFT based on sensitivity to change in RA hand training programs.
Utilized multivariate analysis to identify 3 key items representing diverse grip types.
Evaluated reliability (intraobserver, interobserver, internal consistency) and discriminant validity against healthy controls.

Main Results:

The GAT demonstrated high reliability (intraobserver r=0.985, interobserver r=0.948) and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.65).
All GAT items significantly discriminated between RA patients and healthy controls (p < 0.001).
The GAT showed significant sensitivity to change following a hand training program in RA patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The developed Grip Ability Test (GAT) is a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure for evaluating hand function in RA.
The GAT requires minimal equipment and has a short administration time (5 minutes).
The GAT is suitable for clinical settings to monitor treatment effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis.

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