The ODI remains a valid and vigorous measure and has been a worthwhile outcome measure .
The behavior of the instrument is incompletely understood , particularly in sensitivity to real change .
The Oswestry Disability Index ( ODI ) has become one of the principal condition-specific outcome measures used in the management of spinal disorders .
To review the versions of this instrument , document methods by which it has been vali date d , collate data from scores found in normal and back pain population s , provide curves for power calculations in studies using the ODI , and maintain the ODI as a gold st and ard outcome measure .
It has now been 20 years since its original publication .
Assessing change over time in patients with low back pain.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study compared the ability of the Rol and -Morris ( RM ) , Oswestry ( OSW ) , and Jan van Breemen Institute ( JVB ) pain and function question naires to detect change over time . SUBJECTS The sample consisted of 88 patients with mechanical low back pain who were referred by physicians to the outpatient physical therapy department of a teaching hospital . METHODS Question naires were completed by the subjects at their initial visit and 4 to 6 weeks later . Clinical ly important change was estimated by having the subject and the clinician independently complete two rating scales . Sensitivity to change was assessed using receiver operating characteristic ( ROC ) curve analysis . RESULTS The ROC curve areas for the RM ( 0.79 ) , OSW ( 0.78 ) , and JVB pain ( 0.79 ) question naires were significantly greater than for the JVB function question naire ( 0.66 ) . Blank and multiple responses per item were present on approximately 20 % of the OSW question naires and 14 % of the JVB question naires . Words rather than checks were evident on 3 % of the RM question naires . CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION Based on the latter finding , we believe the RM question naire may be the preferred instrument for assessing change over time in patients with low back pain
The ODI remains a valid and vigorous measure and has been a worthwhile outcome measure .
The behavior of the instrument is incompletely understood , particularly in sensitivity to real change .
The Oswestry Disability Index ( ODI ) has become one of the principal condition-specific outcome measures used in the management of spinal disorders .
To review the versions of this instrument , document methods by which it has been vali date d , collate data from scores found in normal and back pain population s , provide curves for power calculations in studies using the ODI , and maintain the ODI as a gold st and ard outcome measure .
It has now been 20 years since its original publication .