[Dutch-language patient-reported outcome measures for foot and ankle injuries; a systematic review].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate which valid and reliable patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are available for foot and ankle disorders in the Dutch population, and which of these is the most suitable for uniform use.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHOD: PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar were systematically searched for relevant articles; subsequently two researchers screened first the title and the abstract, and then the full article within a selection of these articles. Studies that described a validation process for foot- and ankle-PROMs in a Dutch population were included. Data on measurement characteristics and translation procedure were extracted, and methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the COSMIN checklist. ('COSMIN' stands for 'Consensus-based standards for the selection of health status measurement instruments'.)

RESULTS

Two general foot- and ankle-PROMs in the Dutch language were validated: the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measurement (FAAM); two foot-PROMs: the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index (MFPDI) and the 5-point Foot Function Index (FFI-5pt) were also validated. There were also two disorder-specific PROMs available in Dutch: the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) for Achilles tendinopathies and the Foot Impact Scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis (FIS-RA) for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

CONCLUSION

The FAOS and the FFI-5pt showed the strongest evidence for having good measurement characteristics. Currently, we regard the FAOS as the most appropriate foot- and ankle-PROM for general foot and ankle problems. Further studies of higher methodological quality are, however, required to draw firmer conclusions.