Is the Health Utilities Index responsive in total hip arthroplasty patients?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose is to examine the responsiveness of the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2), Mark 3 (HUI3), and other generic and disease-specific measures in osteoarthritis patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA).


METHODS
Ninety patients (mean age=68.13; SD=8.15) on a waiting list for THA completed measures that included the standard gamble, HUI2, HUI3, SF-36, Harris Hip Scale, WOMAC, and MACTAR. before and after THA. Responsiveness statistics (effect size, standardized response mean, Guyatt's responsiveness statistic, paired-sample t-tests, and relative efficiency statistic) were calculated.


RESULTS
The disease-specific measures were more responsive than the generic measures. Rankings of the degree of responsiveness varied depending on the responsiveness statistic used.


CONCLUSIONS
Disease-specific measures are the most responsive in THA patients. However, the SF-36, HUI2, and HUI3 had summary scores and domain/attributes scores that were also responsive and provided additional information. Among the generic measures, HUI3 was the most responsive.
Blanchard
Chris
C
School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
Feeny
David
D
Mahon
Jeffrey L
JL
Bourne
Robert
R
Rorabeck
Cecil
C
Stitt
Larry
L
Webster-Bogaert
Susan
S
D000818:Animals; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity