The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) developed and tested its first wave of adult self-reported health outcome item banks: 2005-2008.
OBJECTIVE
Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are essential when evaluating many new treatments in health care; yet, current measures have been limited by a lack of precision, standardization, and comparability of scores across studies and diseases. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) provides item banks that offer the potential for efficient (minimizes item number without compromising reliability), flexible (enables optional use of interchangeable items), and precise (has minimal error in estimate) measurement of commonly studied PROs. We report results from the first large-scale testing of PROMIS items.


METHODS
Fourteen item pools were tested in the U.S. general population and clinical groups using an online panel and clinic recruitment. A scale-setting subsample was created reflecting demographics proportional to the 2000 U.S. census.


RESULTS
Using item-response theory (graded response model), 11 item banks were calibrated on a sample of 21,133, measuring components of self-reported physical, mental, and social health, along with a 10-item Global Health Scale. Short forms from each bank were developed and compared with the overall bank and with other well-validated and widely accepted ("legacy") measures. All item banks demonstrated good reliability across most of the score distributions. Construct validity was supported by moderate to strong correlations with legacy measures.


CONCLUSIONS
PROMIS item banks and their short forms provide evidence that they are reliable and precise measures of generic symptoms and functional reports comparable to legacy instruments. Further testing will continue to validate and test PROMIS items and banks in diverse clinical populations.
Cella
David
D
Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, 710 North LakeShore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. d-cella@northwestern.edu
Riley
William
W
Stone
Arthur
A
Rothrock
Nan
N
Reeve
Bryce
B
Yount
Susan
S
Amtmann
Dagmar
D
Bode
Rita
R
Buysse
Daniel
D
Choi
Seung
S
Cook
Karon
K
Devellis
Robert
R
DeWalt
Darren
D
Fries
James F
JF
Gershon
Richard
R
Hahn
Elizabeth A
EA
Lai
Jin-Shei
JS
Pilkonis
Paul
P
Revicki
Dennis
D
Rose
Matthias
M
Weinfurt
Kevin
K
Hays
Ron
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States