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Workers' compensation recipients with carpal tunnel syndrome: the validity of self-reported health measures.

J N Katz, L Punnett, B P Simmons, A H Fossel, N Mooney and R B Keller

Department of Rheumatology/Immunology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass 02115, USA.

OBJECTIVES. This study compared the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of self-reported measures of health related quality of life in recipients and non-recipients of workers' compensation who have carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS. Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome complete questionnaires at study enrollment and 6 months later scales measuring symptom severity functional status, and satisfaction were included. The scales internal consistency, validity, and responsiveness were assessed. RESULTS. The internal consistencies for each scale were high (Cronbach's alpha .88 to .96) and virtually identical in recipients and nonrecipients of workers' compensation. The correlations between self-reported and objectively measured grip strength were .32 in recipients and .30 in nonrecipients; these correlations were not influenced by whether workers' compensation recipients were out of work. Correlations between changes in scale scores and three indicators of perceived improvement were higher in recipients (.48 to .69) than in nonrecipients (.19 to .41) CONCLUSIONS. The reliability, validity, and responsiveness of these measures were comparable in nonrecipients and recipients of workers compensation, these data support the use of self-report measures in studies of workers.

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