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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 87-B, Issue 2, 201-204.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.87B2.15548  
Copyright © 2005 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
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A computer touch-screen version of the North American Spine Society outcome assessment instrument for the lumbar spine

S. Schaeren, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon1; H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari, MD, MPH, Instructor2; M. Knupp, MD, Orthopaedic Resident1; W. Dick, MD, Professor and Chairman1; J. F. Huber, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon3; and R. Theiler, MD, Head4

1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
2 Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Robert B. Brigham Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Centre, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
3 Orthopaedische Klinik, Kantonsspital, CH-5000 Aarau, Switzerland.
4 Department of Rheumatology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, City-Hospital Triemli, CH-8063 Zurich, Switzerland.

Correspondence should be sent to Dr S. Schaeren; e-mail: sschaeren{at}uhbs.ch

We validated the North American Spine Society (NASS) outcome-assessment instrument for the lumbar spine in a computerised touch-screen format and assessed patients’ acceptance, taking into account previous computer experience, age and gender.

Fifty consecutive patients with symptomatic and radiologically-proven degenerative disease of the lumbar spine completed both the hard copy (paper) and the computerised versions of the NASS questionnaire. Statistical analysis showed high agreement between the paper and the touch-screen computer format for both subscales (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.94, 95% confidence interval (0.90 to 0.97)) independent of computer experience, age and gender. In total, 55% of patients stated that the computer format was easier to use and 66% preferred it to the paper version (p < 0.0001 among subjects expressing a preference). Our data indicate that the touch-screen format is comparable to the paper form. It may improve follow-up in clinical practice and research by meeting patients’ preferences and minimising administrative work.






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Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General