Abstract
A reliable and valid measurement tool, The Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) was developed to assess the benefit of conservative and surgical interventions for meniscal pathology. A methodologic protocol designed by Guyatt was used for the development. This measurement tool can be used as the primary outcome tool in clinical trials evaluating the outcome of patients in this population. It can also be used to monitor a patients’ progress in private practice.
The purpose of this study was to develop a measure of quality of life, which is reliable and valid, to assess the benefit of conservative and surgical interventions for meniscal pathology.
Health-related quality-of-life measurement tool development
A modified methodologic protocol designed by Guyatt was used to develop the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) a disease-specific quality of life measurement tool for patients with meniscal pathology. The stages were: 1) item generation, 3) item selection, 4) pretesting. Evaluation of the WOMET included testing reliability, responsiveness and validity.
The final instrument, the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool has sixteen items representing the domains of physical symptoms (nine items), sports, recreation/work/lifestyle (four items), and emotions (three items). The instrument proved to be valid by demonstrating predicted correlations with previously published knee measurement tools. Reliability at two weeks was high with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.833. The new instrument was also more responsive than other knee measurement tools.
Since the patients own perception of changes in their health status is the most important indicator for success of a treatment, this measurement tool can be used as the primary outcome tool in clinical trials evaluating the outcome of patients in this population. It can also be used to monitor a patients’ progress in private practice
Correspondence should be addressed to Cynthia Vezina, Communications Manager, COA, 4150-360 Ste. Catherine St. West, Westmount, QC H3Z 2Y5, Canada
(deceased)
