Construct validity of the Hand10 questionnaire in patients with hand osteoarthritis.

Background: The Hand10 questionnaire is a short, easy-to-understand, visual questionnaire developed for the functional assessment of upper extremity disorders. It consists of visuals of each item as well as facial expressions that reflect the degree of difficulty during the function. It has been stated that the Hand10 questionnaire is suitable for application in the elderly population due to its stated features.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the Hand10 questionnaire in hand osteoarthritis, the prevalence of which increases with age.

Methods: Patients filled the Hand10, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), and Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index (AUSCAN) questionnaires, once. Validity of Hand10 was determined with DASH and AUSCAN questionnaires using Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis.

Results: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. The Hand10 score of the patients was 45.15 ± 25.81; DASH score was 76.31 ± 26.37, and AUSCAN score was 32.75 ± 15.58. The analysis revealed that Hand10 scores showed a positive correlation with DASH scores at a "very good" level (r = 0.71; p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.55, 0.82]) and AUSCAN scores at an "excellent" level (r = 0.76; p < 0.001; 95% CI [0.63, 0.85]).

Conclusion: The Hand10 questionnaire is a valid tool in patients with hand OA. This questionnaire, which consists of ten items and includes pictures that have a positive effect on repeatability, is very practical in evaluating hand function in upper extremity disorders, especially in older age individuals.