Does the Oswestry or SF-36 Help a Therapist to Predict Treatment Classification
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of two disability questionnaires, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (Oswestry) and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), and a standardized physical examination and diagnostic classification system. The physical examination was performed by the evaluating therapists from the clinic and classification was determined by the evaluating therapists and the investigators to ensure correct subject placement into treatment Stages la, lb, or II. Data collection occurred at an outpatient physical therapy clinic in a metropolitan area health maintenance organization, where a sample of 221 subjects with low back pain were obtained. Once the questionnaires were completed by the subjects, the ten items on the Oswestry and the eight items on the SF-36 were then scored by the investigators. Step-wise discriminent analysis was utilized to determine which items from the two self reporting questionnaires could predict the physical therapist assigned treatment classification. When classifying into Stage I versus Stage II, correct treatment classification could be predicted 83.6% of the time using four sub-scores (pain intensity. general health, role-physical, and sleeping ). The predictability, utilizing all the sub-scores. was 87.9%. When classifying into category lb versus la and II, classification into Stage lb with the sub-scores of pain intensity and traveling had a 92.9% predictability rate. Key Words: low back pain, assessment, Oswestry, SF-36, treatment classification, subjective exams.
Biostatistics, Clinical Trials, Physical Therapy, Owestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnire; Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36; Questionnaires -- diagnostic use; Physical Examination -- methods; Treatment Outcome; Treatment -- classification; Physical Therapy.
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