title: Development, validity, reliability, and responsiveness of a new leg ulcer measurement tool.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate an assessment tool--the Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool (LUMT)--that would be able to detect changes in the appearance of lower extremity ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two subjects with chronic leg ulcers of various etiologies (arterial, venous, diabetes) participated in the validation study.
  
  
  METHODS
  An interdisciplinary panel consisting of 9 local wound care specialists confirmed content validity. Concurrent criterion validity was determined by correlation of the size domain (1 of 14 clinician-rated domains in the LUMT) with acetate tracing measurement of wound surface area. Reliability was determined using repeated assessments by 4 wound care specialist and 2 inexperienced evaluators; responsiveness was determined using monthly reassessments by a single rater for 4 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concurrent criterion validity was r = 0.82. Excellent values of intrarater and interrater reliability (ICC > 0.75) were obtained for total LUMT scores and for many of the 14 individual domains; however, several domains were found to be less reproducible. The LUMT detected change in wound status over time (responsiveness coefficient = 0.84).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LUMT can be used by 1 or more assessors, with relatively little previous training, to make reproducible evaluations of lower extremity ulcer appearance and to document change in appearance over time. The LUMT represents a novel assessment tool specifically designed and validated for clinical or research use on chronic leg ulcers.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation and Geriatric Care Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Care London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M Gail
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Woodbury
authors.forename: Pamela E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Keast
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis*