Comparison of PROMIS® Profile CAT scores of stroke patients in a hospital and rehabilitation setting

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS) Profile is a generic measure of Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) measuring 7 domains. This observational study aimed to compare its outcomes in stroke patients who were treated in a hospital or in a rehabilitation setting. Two stroke populations, one hospital based and one rehabilitation centre based, completed 7 PROMIS Profile CATs. T-scores, levels of each domain (percentages of patients within normal limits, mild, moderate, severe scores), and number of affected domains (normal or worse scores) were compared between the two populations using Mann-Whitney U tests. In addition, T-scores of females and males were compared within each population using Mann-Whitney U tests. The hospital population (n = 341, median age 69, 46.7 % females) had worse scores on 2/7 domains (i.e. Physical Function and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities) and better scores on 4/7 domains (i.e. Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue and Pain Interference) than the rehabilitation population (n = 160, median age 62, 41.9 % females; all p < 0.001, range mean differences 5.2–16.1). In both populations the majority of patients experienced problems in the domain Physical Function. The median number of affected domains in all patients was similar in the two populations (median 3/7 versus 3/7, p = 0.399). Regarding sex differences, females in the hospital population experienced worse functioning on the domains Anxiety ( p = 0.006), De p ression ( p = 0.033) and Sleep Disturbances ( p < 0.001) than males. The same was found in the rehabilitation population for the domains Anxiety ( p = 0.002) and Sleep Disturbance ( p = 0.009). In addition, females scored worse on Physical Function ( p = 0.041) than males. Stroke patients from a hospital population had better scores on most domains of the PROMIS Profile CAT than patients from a rehabilitation population. Sex differences were found in both populations. These results will help clinicians and researchers with interpreting PROMIS scores of their stroke patients.