Bmc Musculoskel Dis
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Bmc Musculoskel Dis · Jul 2014
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMinimal detectable change for mobility and patient-reported tools in people with osteoarthritis awaiting arthroplasty.
Thoughtful use of assessment tools to monitor disease requires an understanding of clinimetric properties. These properties are often under-reported and, thus, potentially overlooked in the clinic. This study aimed to determine the minimal detectable change (MDC) and coefficient of variation per cent (CV%) for tools commonly used to assess the symptomatic and functional severity of knee and hip osteoarthritis. ⋯ Distinguishing real change from error is difficult in people with severe osteoarthritis. The 6MWT demonstrates the smallest measurement error amongst a range of tools commonly used to assess disease severity, thus, has the capacity to detect the smallest real change above measurement error in everyday clinical practice.