An instrument evaluation framework: description and application to assessments of hand function

An instrument evaluation framework outlining a process for selecting measurement instruments for use in hand therapy is presented. Each section of the framework--including clinical utility, standardization, purpose, psychometric properties, and patient's perspective--is explained in detail. The framework is applied to four hand function assessments that measure functional limitation, specifically, the Test Evaluant les Membres Supèrieurs des Personnes Agèes (Upper Extremity Performance Evaluation Test for the Elderly; TEMPA), the Jebsen Test of Hand Function, the Smith Hand Function Test, and the Quantitative Test of Upper Extremity Function. The therapists who developed and applied the framework selected the TEMPA as the most appropriate measure for their setting. This framework will assist hand therapists in justifying the selection of measurement instruments and will facilitate a consistent, comprehensive, and critical evaluation approach.