Reproducibility and validity of a questionnaire filled in by spinal cord lesioned individuals before regular follow-up

Objective: To speed up and focus (biennial) check-ups of out-patients with spinal cord lesions by means of a brief mail questionnaire concerning speci fic impairments as well as general life conditions. Method: A trial 69-item questionnaire was filled in twice, at home and on a rrival for checkup, and, for a third time, by the physician during the cons ultation. Out of 115 check-ups, 107 and 105 could be included in a reproduc ibility and validity assessment respectively. Results: Excellent agreement between the first two completions ('reproducib ility') and between the markings made at home and those made by the physici an ('validity') was obtained for the majority of the items. Those items not performing satisfactorily, not least those relating to defecation, were sc rutinised. Conclusion: After revision, the questionnaire can serve the above mentioned purposes in a cost-effective and clinically satisfying manner. Further ben efits are envisaged by computerised longitudinal monitoring of the patients ' answers. Finally, we have pointed towards weak items/questions in our que stionnaire, and we hope this can be of help to others who want to use simil ar questionnaires in their daily practice.