Difference in method of administration did not significantly impact item response: an IRT-based analysis from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative

• Published in: Quality of life research Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 217 - 227
• Main Authors: Bjorner, Jakob B., Rose, Matthias, Gandek, Barbara, Stone, Arthur A., Junghaenel, Doerte U., Ware, John E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer 01.02.2014; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - diagnosis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - psychology; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Clinical outcomes; Cross-Over Studies; Data collection; Data Collection - methods; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Depressive disorders; Discriminant analysis; Discrimination (Psychology); Factor analysis; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Information storage and retrieval systems; Information Systems; Item response theory; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Mental health; Methods; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Patients; PDAs; Personal computers; Personal digital assistants; Personal documents; Psychological tests; Public Health; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - diagnosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - psychology; Quality of Life; Quality of Life Research; Questionnaires; Rheumatoid arthritis; Secretaries; Self Report; Sickness Impact Profile; Sociology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Mode of administration; Questionnaire; Patient-reported outcomes; Item response theory; Quality of life; Method of administration
• ISSN: 0962-9343; 1573-2649; 1573-2649
• DOI: 10.1007/s11136-013-0451-4

Purpose To test the impact of method of administration (MOA) on the measurement characteristics of items developed in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Methods Two non-overlapping parallel 8-item forms from each of three PROMIS domains (physical function, fatigue, and depression) were completed by 923 adults (age 18–89) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, or rheumatoid arthritis. In a randomized cross-over design, subjects answered one form by interactive voice response (IVR) technology, paper questionnaire (PQ), personal digital assistant (PDA), or personal computer (PC) on the Internet, and a second form by PC, in the same administration. Structural invariance, equivalence of item responses, and measurement precision were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory methods. Results Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported equivalence of factor structure across MOA. Analyses by item response theory found no differences in item location parameters and strongly supported the equivalence of scores across MOA. Conclusions We found no statistically or clinically significant differences in score levels in IVR, PQ, or PDA administration as compared to PC. Availability of large item response theory-calibrated PROMIS item banks allowed for innovations in study design and analysis.