Patient-Reported Outcomes for Fractures of the Acetabulum: A Comparison Between Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System and Traditional Instruments.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to compare instruments from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) with previously validated acetabulum fracture outcome instruments.

METHODS

This study included adult patients presenting for routine follow-up at least 3 months after surgical treatment of an acetabulum fracture. Participants completed four different patient-reported outcomes in a randomized order: PROMIS Mobility, PROMIS Physical Function, Short Form 36 (SF-36), and Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA). Primary outcomes were the correlations between instruments, floor/ceiling effects, and survey completion time. The effects of age, education, and race on survey completion time were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Overall strong correlations were observed between PROMIS instruments and the SMFA/SF-36 (r = 0.73 to 0.86, P < 0.05) with weaker, more moderate correlations in those with >18 months of follow-up (r = 0.41 to 0.76, P < 0.05). No instruments demonstrated notable floor or ceiling effects. The PROMIS outcomes required less time to complete (PROMIS [56 to 59 seconds] than SF-36 [5 minutes 22 seconds] and SMFA [6 minutes 35 seconds]; P < 0.001). Older individuals required more time to complete the PROMIS PF (0.5 s/yr, P = 0.03), SF-36 (2.35 s/yr, P = 0.01), and SMFA (3.85 s/yr, P < 0.01). Level of education did not affect completion time; however, African Americans took significantly longer than Caucasians to complete the SMFA and SF-36 by 151 and 164 seconds (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

This study supports that the PROMIS Mobility and Physical Function surveys are much more efficient instruments for evaluating patients with acetabulum fractures when compared with the SMFA and SF-36. Convergent validity of the PROMIS instruments was overall strong but weaker and more moderate in those with a long-term follow-up, and additional study is suggested for longer-term outcomes. Level of education did not influence survey completion time; however, it took markedly longer time for older individuals and African Americans to complete the SMFA and SF-36.