Journal of Clinical Medicine
The Normal Hip Score Following Hip Fracture: Preliminary Validation of a Single-Item Patient-Reported Outcome Measure
By Brian Z. H. Lim, Gillian C. Leitch, Tom Williamson and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are important after hip fracture but can impose respondent burden. A simple global measure may provide complementary information about a patient’s overall perception of hip normality. The Normal Hip Score (NHS) is a single-item 0–100 measure of perceived hip normality. This study evaluated preliminary evidence of construct validity for the NHS following hip fracture surgery.
Methods
This was a prospective observational study with cross-sectional validation analyses based on a single postoperative PROM assessment. Paired NHS–OHS and NHS–EQ-5D-5L data were available for 80 participants. The mean age was 79.3 years (SD 10.8), and 46 (57.5%) of these participants were female. Assessment occurred at a mean of 3.47 months (SD 0.75; range 2–7 months) following fracture surgery. The NHS was assessed in relation to the OHS and EQ-5D-5L index and dimensions. Convergent validity was assessed using Pearson and Spearman correlations, with exploratory analyses of individual OHS items and EQ-5D-5L dimensions. Known-groups validity was examined across OHS quartiles, and multivariable linear regression was performed.