Validating PROMIS Instruments in Back and Leg Pain

December 10, 2013 updated by: Dagmar Amtmann, University of Washington
The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is an NIH Roadmap initiative to develop a computerized system measuring patient-reported outcomes in respondents with a wide range of chronic diseases and demographic characteristics. In the first four years of its existence, the PROMIS network developed item banks for measuring patient-reported outcomes in the areas of pain, fatigue, emotional distress, physical function, and social functioning. During the item banking process, the PROMIS network conducted focus groups, individual cognitive interviews, and lexile (reading level) analyses to refine the meaning, clarity, and literacy demands of all items. The item banks were administered to over 20,000 respondents and calibrated using models based on item response theory (IRT). Using these IRT calibrations, computerized adaptive test (CAT) algorithms were developed and implemented. The network has designed a series of studies using clinical populations to evaluate the item attributes, examine their utility as CATs, and validate the item banks. More information on the PROMIS network can be found at www.nihpromis.org.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

The University of Washington Center on Outcomes Research in Rehabilitation (UWCORR) is a member of the Patient Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) Network. PROMIS is funded by the NIH Roadmap initiative, working to improve the efficiency and accuracy of measuring patient-reported outcomes. UWCORR works collaboratively with five research sites (Stanford University, Duke University, State University of New York, University of Pittsburgh, and University of North Carolina) and a Statistical Coordinating Center (NorthShore University HealthSystem).

Collectively, the goal of the PROMIS Network is to create a publicly available system that can be periodically added to and modified and that allows clinical researchers to access a common repository of items and computerized adaptive tests. The first step in achieving this goal was to build item pools and develop core questionnaires that measure key health outcome domains that are manifested in a variety of disabilities and chronic conditions. The resulting six item banks cover the domains of pain, fatigue, social health, physical functioning, emotional functioning, and sleep-wake functioning.

The next step in this process is to validate the PROMIS item banks and to examine their utility as computerized adaptive tests (CATs) with individuals diagnosed with a variety of chronic conditions and disabilities. At UWCORR, we will recruit patients with back and leg pain who were treated with epidural steroid injections. This protocol is aimed at comparing the psychometric properties of the PROMIS item banks with non-PROMIS 'gold standard' instruments, diagnostic data, and medical records. We will compare de-identified data from this study with de-identified data from other PROMIS research centers.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

226

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98104
        • Harborview Medical Center
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98105
        • UWMC Sports and Spine Physicians

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with back and leg pain who are scheduled for epidural steroid injections and who have had pain for at least 6 weeks.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Back pain for at least 6 weeks
  • Scheduled for any kind of spinal injection (i.e. epidural steroid injection, facet joint injection or sacroiliac joint injection) recommended by clinic physician

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not scheduled for ESI
  • Has dementia or other cognitive impairments that would interfere with questionnaire completion
  • Lumbar surgery within the last year; unstable neurological symptoms (e.g., experiencing bowel or bladder incontinence, numbness in groin area, new or worsening weakness in legs, or new numbness or tingling in legs); cauda equine syndrome; cancer; spinal cord injury (SCI); vertebral fractures; or multiple sclerosis (MS)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
PROMIS measures

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Dagmar Amtmann, PhD, University of Washington

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 1, 2008

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 30, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 30, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

November 2, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

December 11, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 10, 2013

Last Verified

December 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 33606-J
  • 5U01AR052171-02 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.