Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Instruments Correlate Better With Legacy Measures in Knee Cartilage Patients at Postoperative Than at Preoperative Assessment.

PURPOSE: To define the psychometric properties of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF), Pain Interference (PI), and Depression computer adaptive tests (CATs) in patients undergoing knee cartilage surgical procedures.

METHODS

The PROMIS PF, PI, and Depression CATs were administered preoperatively and at 6 months alongside legacy knee patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients undergoing knee cartilage surgical procedures. Statistical analysis consisted of the time to completion, psychometric analysis for correlative strengths, absolute and relative floor and ceiling effects, and Cohen effect size.

RESULTS

Our study included 250 patients (57.2% male patients), averaging 1.87, 1.53, and 1.91 minutes for completion of the PF, PI, and Depression CATs, respectively. Preoperatively, the PROMIS PF and PI CATs showed wide ranges of correlation coefficients with respect to function (r = 0.14-0.72 and r = 0.29-0.77, respectively) and health-related quality-of-life PROMs (r = 0.64-0.70). At 6 months, the PROMIS PF CAT (r = 0.82-0.93) and PI CAT (r = 0.77-0.93) both exhibited excellent correlations with respect to legacy function and health-related quality-of-life PROMs except for the Marx Activity Rating Scale (r = 0.36-0.44). None of the PROMIS instruments exhibited any significant floor or ceiling effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The PROMIS PF, PI, and Depression CATs performed better with respect to legacy PROMs in the postoperative period than the preoperative period. In addition, the PROMIS PF and PI measures performed best with respect to the International Knee Documentation Committee questionnaire, and no floor or ceiling effects were identified for the PROMIS instruments. The PROMIS instruments may be more suited to track outcomes postoperatively than to establish preoperative baselines in cartilage surgery patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.