Measuring Quality of Life in patients with Rotator Cuff Disorders
Abstract
Rotator cuff disorders (RCDs) are a common musculoskeletal problem with a higher prevalence in women and after the age of 60. Due to the increasing need for patient-centered care, researchers have been directed towards the use of patient reported outcomes (PROs) to evaluate the progress of patient recovery, as the experience varies across individuals.
Recently, the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index was reduced in items to create the shortened version of the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (Short-WORC). However, the Short-WORC’s psychometrics have yet to be evaluated. Therefore, this mixed-methods thesis aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Short-WORC in a patient population of RCDs. First, we created the framework of evaluation by synthesizing the literature on the cultural adaptions of the WORC. Then, we quantitatively assessed the reliability and validity, and qualitatively assessed the content validity of the Short-WORC in a prospective rotator cuff population.
Overall, the findings suggestthat the Short-WORC demonstrates evidence of validity, reliability and sensitivity to change when measuring quality of life in rotator cuff pathology. Findings suggest the appropriate recommendations and advancement of clinical research in rotator cuff pathology.