A new study published in The Spine Journal examines how reliable the revised Scoliosis Research Society-22 and Oswestry Disability Index questionnaires are in adult spinal deformity when administered by telephone.
The study includes 49 patients who were 55.7 years old on average. The patients had adult spinal deformity and were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to complete either over-the-phone or in-office. There were also patients who underwent in-office completion followed by phone completion.
Here are five things to know:
1. There weren't any difference between the phone and in-office versions of the SRS-22r or the ODI.
2. The intraclass correlation coefficient for SRS-22r was 0.91.
3. The intraclass correlation coefficient for ODI as 0.86.
4. The most popular option was completing the scores over the phone. More than half — 57 percent preferred the phone call; only 29 percent preferred the in-office interviews. Fourteen percent didn't have a preference.
5. The phone administration provided a convenient and reliable tool to reduce follow-up data loss, the study authors concluded.