Development of a patient-oriented outcome measure for patients with hand and elbow disorder: HandQ

Purpose: The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) is the most widely used patient-oriented outcome measure for the upper extremities in the world, and high reliability and validity of it has already been confirmed. However, there are several problems with using the DASH, some of which are culturally related. We aimed to (1) develop a patient-oriented disease-specific outcome measure for patients with disorders of the hand and elbow, which we call the HandQ and (2) examine the practical applicability, reliability, and validity of the HandQ for any patient with disorders of the hand and elbow. Methods: A total of 216 patients were surveyed with the HandQ, as well as the Hand20 and the DASH to assess psychometric characteristics. Results: There were no considerable floor and ceiling effects regarding the total HandQ score. Test–retest reliability and internal consistency determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (0.942) and Cronbach’s α test (0.961) were excellent. The HandQ was well correlated with the Hand20 and the DASH scores. Scree plot showed unidimensionality of the HandQ, and the graphical model showed the questionnaire items of the HandQ had reasonable correlation among each item. Conclusions: The HandQ has a sufficient reliability and internal consistency, and an excellent validity, and was shown to be able to be practically applicable in all patients with hand and elbow disorders.