Evaluation of a Swedish version of the patient-rated wrist evaluation outcome questionnaire: good responsiveness, validity, and reliability, in 99 patients recovering from a fracture of the distal radius.

The patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) form is an established outcome questionnaire designed to measure wrist pain and disabilities in activities of daily living. We translated and validated this score for use in Sweden. The original PRWE score was translated forwards and backwards, and then the responsiveness, validity, and reliability of the Swedish version were tested in 99 patients who were recovering from a fracture of the distal radius. The patients completed the PRWE questionnaire 7 weeks and 4 to 6 months after the injury. Responsiveness was assessed by Standard Response Mean and Effect Size. Content validity was evaluated by examining the proportion of best and worse possible scores. Construct validity was assessed by comparing scores twice after the injury and by comparing patients with fractures of different severity. Criterion validity was evaluated by correlating the PRWE with another upper extremity score: the disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score. Reliability was evaluated with a test-retest and by internal consistency. Responsiveness was excellent (SRM = 1.4-1.7, ES = 1.3). Five patients reported the best possible result after 4 to 6 months but none at 7 weeks, and no patient reported the worst score at any time. The PRWE score corresponded well with improvement and showed good correlation with severity of fracture. The PRWE showed a strong correlation with DASH score (Spearman's rank coefficient = 0.86). Intraobserver reliability of the test-retest and internal consistency was good (Kendall W coefficient = 0.79, Spearman's rank coefficient = 0.99, Cronbach's alpha = 0.94-0.97). We found this Swedish version of the PRWE to be responsive, valid, and reliable for evaluating the patient-rated outcome after a fracture of the distal radius.