Photo Credit: Axel Kock
The following is a summary of “Psychometric properties of performance based tests in patients with Fibromyalgia: A systematic review,” published in the November 2024 issue of Pain by Socorro-Cumplido et al.
Fibromyalgia (FM) significantly impacts patients’ health, function, and QoL, necessitating reliable and valid measures for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to estimate the psychometric properties of performance-based tests (PBTs) in FM and evaluate the availability of reliable, valid, and responsive tests linked to key International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) categories.
They followed the PRISMA checklist and searched 4 databases PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The eligible studies provided information on the population, intervention (assessment), and outcomes (PBTs and psychometric properties). The risk of bias and methodological quality was evaluated using the COSMIN criteria.
The results showed that 22 studies evaluating 26 PBTs were included and were associated with 5 ICF categories: exercise tolerance, muscle power and endurance, changing body position, and walking. The psychometric properties assessed included reliability, validity, and responsiveness. The 6-minute walking test was the most frequently evaluated PBT, showing moderate evidence for reliability and excellent methodological quality for validity. Overall, reliability had doubtful methodological quality with very low to moderate evidence, while validity had very good quality with low to high evidence. Criterion validity was not investigated, and construct validity and responsiveness were infrequently assessed.
Investigators concluded the clinicians should carefully select patient-reported outcome measures for FM assessment, and future research should prioritize psychometric rigor and control for symptom variability.
Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00727-2/abstract
