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Measuring functional outcomes in work-related upper extremity disorders. Development and validation of the Upper
G Pransky1, M Feuerstein, J Himmelstein
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester 01655-0309, USA.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|January 16, 1998
Summary
A new Upper Extremity Function Scale (UEFS) effectively measures function in injured workers. This self-reported questionnaire shows strong validity and responsiveness for upper extremity disorders (UEDs).
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Occupational Medicine
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Validated functional measures are established for chronic illness and low back pain.
- Functional measures for upper extremity disorders (UEDs) are less developed, especially for injured workers.
- Existing clinical measures may lack sensitivity in tracking recovery for UEDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Upper Extremity Function Scale (UEFS) for assessing function in patients with work-related UEDs.
- To evaluate the psychometric properties and responsiveness of the UEFS in injured workers and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients.
- To establish the utility of self-reported functional scales as outcome measures for UEDs.
Main Methods:
- Developed an eight-item, self-administered questionnaire: the Upper Extremity Function Scale (UEFS).
- Tested the UEFS in 108 patients with work-related UEDs and 165 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in prospective follow-up studies.
- Assessed psychometric properties including internal consistency, floor effects, convergent/discriminant validity, and responsiveness compared to clinical measures.
Main Results:
- The UEFS demonstrated excellent psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.83).
- The scale showed minimal floor effects and excellent convergent and discriminant validity against symptom severity and clinical findings.
- In the CTS group, the UEFS was more responsive to improvements over time than grip and pinch strength measures.
Conclusions:
- The Upper Extremity Function Scale (UEFS) is a valid and reliable tool for measuring function in work-related upper extremity disorders (UEDs).
- Self-reported functional scales like the UEFS are valuable outcome measures in UED research.
- Further research is needed to confirm the UEFS utility in non-patient working populations with UEDs.