Development of a Brief, 12-Item Version of the Michigan Hand Questionnaire

Abstract

Background The Michigan Hand Questionnaire (MHQ) is one of the most widely utilized, hand-specific surveys that measures health status relevant to patients with acute and chronic hand disorders. However, item redundancy exists in the original version, and an abbreviated survey could minimize responder burden and offer broader applicability. Methods Patients (n=422) with 4 specific hand conditions completed the MHQ at two time periods: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n=162), thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC) (n=31), carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) (n=97), and distal radius fracture (DRF) (n=132). Correlation analysis identified 2 items from each of 6 domains (function, activities of daily living, work, pain, aesthetics, and satisfaction). A brief-MHQ score was calculated as the sum of the responses to the 12 items. Psychometric analysis was performed to describe the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the brief MHQ. Results The brief-MHQ includes 12 items that were highly correlated with the summary MHQ score (r= 0.99, p<0.001). The brief MHQ scores were highly correlated between the two time periods (r =0.78, p<0.001), and by disease type. Responsiveness of the brief MHQ was high for all diseases, and similar to that of the original MHQ. Conclusions The 12-item brief MHQ is an efficient and versatile outcomes instrument specific to hand disability that retains the psychometric properties of the original MHQ. The brief MHQ is an important tool to measure patient outcomes and the quality of care in hand surgery.

An Outcome Study for Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow

“…Currently, an abbreviated version of the CTQ does not exist, but the MHQ has undergone item reduction to create a shortened version. 29 This version has been examined among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, but not for patients with UNE, and further study is warranted to describe its responsiveness for this population. Future studies using these instruments that compare all surgical options over a longer period of time may identify predictors of outcomes, examine trends in recovery, and elucidate best treatment practices for this compression neuropathy of the ulnar nerve.…”

Applying the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System to Assess Upper Extremity Function among Children with Congenital Hand Differences

“…However, for individuals with acute or chronic upper extremity conditions, these instruments can be cumbersome and difficult to complete due to hand disability, leading to missing items and poor response rates. 31,38,39 Furthermore, surveys may lack sensitivity across all conditions, or contain irrelevant items. Instruments based on item-response theory can overcome these limitations by relying on the specificity of each survey item to estimate disability, requiring fewer items and less time with equivalent or superior accuracy.…”

Application of Patient-Rated Questionnaires in Rheumatoid Hand Outcomes Research

“…After reversing the pain score, an overall MHQ score is calculated from the mean of the domain scores. A 12-item brief MHQ version was developed for clinical practice, whereas the full version is recommended for research [ 26 ].…”