Patient-reported outcome measures for the evaluation of elbow function-recommendations from theresearch committee of the AGA

Eckl L, Schoch C, Guenther D, Ackermann J, Deichsel A, Eggeling L, Laky B, Mathis DT, Merkely GB, Muench LN, Schuettler KF, Kittl C, Wafaisade A

Abstract

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) are crucial for evaluating treatment outcomes in both, scientific research and clinical practice. Standardizing the use of validated PROMs is essential to improve data comparability and enhance patient care, particularly in the context of elbow-related conditions.. For elbow-related diseases, over 70 scoring systems exist but many lack validation, particularly in the German language; however, a standardized and validated documentation is essential to ensure reliable and comparable results in both, clinical work and research. The aim of this study is to evaluate frequently used PROMs for elbow function and to provide recommendations based on their psychometric properties, particularly focusing on available German language adaptations. The selected elbow PROMs were reviewed with respect to psychometric properties, such as reliability, validity and clinical relevance (minimal clinically important difference, MCID). Based on these criteria the Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS), the Oxford elbow score (OES), the patient rated elbow evaluation (PREE) and the patient rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) were selected. Data from validation studies were included to assess the suitability of the scores for clinical use in German-speaking populations. While the MEPS is the most widely used scoring tool worldwide, both the OES and the PREE exhibit superior psychometric properties. For specific diseases, such as lateral epicondylitis, the use of the PRTEE is particularly recommended.