Use Of A Patient-Generated Outcome Measure To Identify Those Symptoms And Activities Of Greatest Importance To Collegiate Athletes

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures(PROMs) are intended to increase the inclusion of patient perception into treatment making decisions in athletic training. Many PROMs target the general population and focus on activities of daily living(ADLs), meaning they may not be relevant for populations commonly treated by athletic trainers as their concerns often surpass ADL’s. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify items of primary importance to an athletic population and assess the appropriateness of the commonly used PROMs. To accomplish this, a patient-generated measure and a disability PROM were collected from injured collegiate athletes. Responses were coded via the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health(ICF) framework to identify the primary concerns of each report. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale(LEFS) and the Disabilities of the Arm, Hand, and Shoulder outcome measure(DASH) were similarly coded. Participant responses, the LEFS, and DASH were compared to assess the degree of commonality. Primary participant concerns were sports participation and pain. Significant content differences were found between participant-generated concerns and both the LEFS and DASH. Commonly used PROMs did not consistently encompass these or other common participant concerns. Therefore, these content differences validate the perceived barriers held by many athletic trainers regarding the use the widely available PROMs.