title: Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire: A Comparison with the DASH and SF-36 Questionnaires.
abstract: The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) has shown reliability, validity and responsiveness and has been used to assess surgical outcomes mainly in North America. We established a Japanese version of the MHQ and evaluated its reliability and validity compared with both the short-form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire in a Japanese-speaking population.
  
  
  
  The MHQ was cross-culturally adapted to a Japanese version according to guidelines. Sixty-eight patients with hand conditions were enrolled in this study and answered the MHQ, DASH questionnaire and SF-36 questionnaire. The MHQ was completed again with an interval of one or two weeks. Reproducibility and internal consistency were statistically assessed by the test-retest method and calculating Cronbach's alpha. Spearman's rank correlation was calculated to assess associations between the MHQ and the SF-36 questionnaire as well as the DASH questionnaire.
  
  
  
  The intraclass correlation coefficients of MHQ subscales ranged from 0.68 to 0.93. Aesthetics subscale of the left hand showed the lowest intraclass correlation but still a good correlation. Cronbach's alpha values of the MHQ ranged from 0.81 to 0.96 for all subscales. The absolute values of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between MHQ subscales and DASH function/symptoms scores ranged from 0.49 to 0.82. Spearman's correlation coefficients of the MHQ total score to subscales of the SF-36 questionnaire ranged from 0.42 to 0.68. The strongest correlations were found between work performance of the MHQ and rolephysical of the SF-36 questionnaire.
  
  
  
  The Japanese version of the MHQ has adequate instrument properties for assessing hand outcomes compared with the SF-36 questionnaire as well as the DASH questionnaire.
authors.affiliation: * The Functional Evaluation Committee, The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand, Tokyo, Japan.|† Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: * The Functional Evaluation Committee, The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand, Tokyo, Japan.|‡ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Saiseikai Shimonoseki General Hospital, Shimonoseki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: * The Functional Evaluation Committee, The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand, Tokyo, Japan.|§ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Uji Takeda Hospital, Uji, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasukazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katsumi
authors.affiliation: * The Functional Evaluation Committee, The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand, Tokyo, Japan.|∥ Hand and Microsurgery Center, Seirei Hamamatsu Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohi
authors.affiliation: * The Functional Evaluation Committee, The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand, Tokyo, Japan.|¶ Clinical Research Center, International University of Health and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: * The Functional Evaluation Committee, The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand, Tokyo, Japan.|** Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inagaki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hand surgery; Patient-rated assessment; Quality of life