The Neck Disability Index is the most frequently evaluated question naire and shows positive results for internal consistency , content validity , structural validity , hypothesis testing , and responsiveness , but a negative result for reliability .
The other question naires show positive results , but the evidence for each measurement property is mostly limited , and at least 50 % of the information on measurement properties per question naire is lacking .
Purpose To critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of the original versions of  neck-specific question naires .
Sensitivity and Specificity of Outcome Measures in Patients with Neck Pain: Detecting Clinically Significant Improvement
Study Design . Prospect i ve , single-cohort study . Objective . To determine the relative sensitivity of a range of outcome measures used in evaluating treatment interventions in patients with neck pain and the magnitude of change scores on the neck Bournemouth Question naire and the cutoff score on the Patients ’ Global Impression of Change scale associated with clinical ly significant improvement . Summary of Background Data . Traditionally , evaluation of treatment interventions using subjective outcome measures has been based on the statistical significance of the difference between group mean values . To be clinical ly meaningful , however , information is required from sensitive outcome measures on the proportion of patients undergoing a clinical ly important improvement and from this , the number needed to treat for a single patient to benefit . Methods . Patients with nonspecific neck pain from a number of treatment centers completed a battery of self-report question naires , including the Bournemouth Question naire , before and after chiropractic treatment . After treatment , patients also completed a retrospective analysis of their overall improvement since the start of treatment ( Patients ’ Global Impression of Change ) . The a priori definition of clinical ly significant improvement was defined as a Reliable Change Index on the Bournemouth Question naire of > 1.96 . Results . The best cutoffs with a balance between the highest sensitivity and highest specificity in detecting clinical improvement were a score of 2 or less on the Patients ’ Global Impression of Change ( 11-point Numerical Rating Scale : 0 = much better , 5 = no change , and 10 = much worse ) and a raw change score of three or more points on each of the seven 11-point Numerical Rating Scale subscales of the Bournemouth Question naire . For the total score of the Bournemouth Question naire , raw change scores of 13 or more points , percentage change scores of 36 % or more , and individual effect sizes of 1.0 or more were all associated with clinical ly significant improvement . The sensitivity of the Bournemouth Question naire in terms of its effect size was comparable with that of pain intensity scales and the Neck Disability Index . Conclusions . The present findings will assist in the choice of outcome measures in trials on neck pain . The study also illustrates a method ologic framework for interpreting change scores in terms of clinical improvement , facilitating the process of making sense of research data in the clinical setting
The Neck Disability Index is the most frequently evaluated question naire and shows positive results for internal consistency , content validity , structural validity , hypothesis testing , and responsiveness , but a negative result for reliability .
The other question naires show positive results , but the evidence for each measurement property is mostly limited , and at least 50 % of the information on measurement properties per question naire is lacking .
Purpose To critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of the original versions of  neck-specific question naires .