Development of the TBI-QOL Headache Pain Item Bank and Short Form.

OBJECTIVE

To develop, calibrate, and evaluate the test-retest reliability of a new patient-reported outcome measure of headache pain relevant for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

SETTING

Six TBI Model Systems rehabilitation centers in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults with medically confirmed documentation of TBI.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional calibration field testing and test-retest reliability analyses.

MAIN MEASURES: Traumatic Brain Injury-Quality of Life Headache Pain item bank.

RESULTS

Thirteen headache pain items were calibrated as a unidimensional measure using data from 590 participants. The new measure was reliable (α = .98; item-total correlation range: 0.71-0.91). Item parameter estimates were estimated using Samejima's Graded Response Model and a 10-item calibrated short form was created. Simulation testing confirmed that both the computer-adaptive test and the short-form administrations were equivalent to the full item bank. One- to-2-week test-retest reliability of the computer-adaptive test was high (Pearson r and intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.81). Approximately two-thirds of the sample reported at least 1 headache symptom.

CONCLUSION

The Traumatic Brain Injury-Quality of Life Headache Pain item bank and short form provide researchers and clinicians with reliable measures of the subjective experience of headache symptoms for individuals with a history of TBI.