Validation of telephone administration of the HOOS-JR and KOOS-JR joint replacement specific patient reported outcomes measures

The Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Joint Replacement (HOOS-JR) and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Joint Replacement (KOOS-JR) are validated, short-form versions of the HOOS and KOOS patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) that are used to assess “joint health.” Developed in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicare's (CMS) pay-for-performance policy, HOOS-JR and KOOS-JR evaluate patients before in-office visits. New mandatory CMS reporting requirements raise challenges for collecting PROMs. Telephone administration of PROMs may reduce reliability issues and increase collection rates. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of telephone-administered HOOS-JR and KOOS-JR compared with in-person administration. It was hypothesized that telephone administration of PROMs will be a reliable modality for collection. Phone interviews were conducted for new patients seeking care for hip- or knee-related disabilities (66 hips, 66 knees). Patients answered demographic questions and either the HOOS-JR or KOOS-JR. At their in-office visit, patients completed the same PROM via self-administration. To reduce recall bias, a minimum of 7 days between phone interview and self-administration was ensured. Test–retest reliability, using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was calculated. The overall cohort had a mean age of 65 ​± ​10.7 years and was primarily female (60.6%) having less than a postgraduate degree (63.6%). The HOOS-JR telephone interview showed good reliability compared with self-administration [ICC 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–0.87], while KOOS-JR showed moderate agreement (ICC 0.70, 95% CI 0.55–0.81). Patients preferred to self-administer HOOS-JR or KOOS-JR (78.0%). Within self-administration, patients preferred email administration (65%), followed by paper (25%), and tablet (10%). Telephone administration of HOOS-JR and KOOS-JR is a reliable alternative to self-administration. Incorporating phone interviews into clinical practice may enhance care delivery and increase required PROM capture rates. • Telephone patient reported outcome measure (PROM) collection is a reliable alternative to self-administration. • Self-administration of PROMs via email is preferred to paper or tablet collection. • Telephone PROM collection clinical incorporation may enhance care delivery.