The disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) outcome questionnaire: Reliability and validity of the Swedish version evaluated in 176 patients

• Published in: Acta orthopaedica Vol. 71; no. 6; pp. 613 - 618
• Main Authors: Atroshi, Isam, Gummesson, Christina, Andersson, Bodil, Dahlgren, Elsa, Johansson, Anita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Informa UK Ltd 2000; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Medicine; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Health Sciences; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Hälsovetenskap; Klinisk medicin; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Orthopedics; Ortopedi; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - methods; Physiotherapy; Reproducibility of Results; Self Efficacy; Sjukgymnastik; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden; Sweden; Human; Validation; Foreign language version; Prognosis; Questionnaire; Methodology; Evaluation scale; Test reliability; Hand; Swedish; Disability; Shoulder; Upper limb; Arm
• ISSN: 1745-3674; 0001-6470; 1745-3682
• DOI: 10.1080/000164700317362262

The disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire is a self-administered regionspecific outcome instrument developed to measure upperextremity disability and symptoms. The DASH consists mainly of a 30-item disability/symptom scale. We performed cross-cultural adaptation of the DASH to Swedish, using a process that included double forward and backward translations, expert and lay review, as well as field-testing to achieve linguistic and conceptual equivalence. The Swedish version's reliability and validity were then evaluated in 176 patients with upper-extremity conditions. The patients completed the DASH and SF-12 generic health questionnaire before elective surgery or physical therapy. Internal consistency of the DASH was high (Cronbach alpha 0.96). Test-retest reliability, evaluated in a subgroup of 67 patients who completed the DASH on two occasions, with a median interval of 7 days, was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.92). Construct validity was shown by a positive correlation of DASH scores with the SF-12 scores (worse upper-extremity disability correlating with worse general health), stronger correlation with the SF-12 physical than with the mental health component, correlation of worse DASH scores with worse self-rated global health, and ability to discriminate among conditions known to differ in severity. The Swedish version of the DASH is a reliable and valid instrument that can provide a standardized measure of patient-centered outcomes in upper-extremity musculoskeletal conditions.