From big data to big impact: realizing the potential of clinical registries

Cutting-Edge Approaches in Arthroplasty: Before, during and after Surgery

Personalised medicine was introduced in arthroplasty a long time ago with the aim of respecting each individual person for their unique personal characteristics in order to further improve outcomes [...].

Test-Retest Reliability of the BREAST-Q IS in the Australian Breast Device Registry

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly employed in healthcare to assess outcomes. The BREAST-Q Implant Surveillance module (BREAST-Q IS) is a 5-question PROM utilized by the Australian Breast Device Registry to monitor the performance of breast devices. Validation of this tool is needed to assess its utility in this setting.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of the BREAST-Q IS among breast implant recipients within a registry setting.

METHODS

A test-retest reliability study was undertaken. Patients who underwent breast augmentation or breast reconstruction and registered with the Australian Breast Device Registry were eligible to participate. A total of 250 surveys were distributed. The BREAST-Q IS was administered to the same group of participants on 2 separate occasions with a 2-week test interval. Participants were divided into 2 groups: breast augmentation and breast reconstruction. A weighted kappa coefficient was calculated to assess the degree of test-retest reliability of the BREAST-Q IS.

RESULTS

A total of 207 participants completed both tests. The response rate was 82% (n = 113) for the breast augmentation group and 94% (n = 94) for the breast reconstruction group. All 5 questions on the BREAST-Q IS obtained weighted kappa scores above 0.74 among both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The BREAST-Q IS has good to excellent test-retest reliability for utilization among breast implant recipients in a registry setting. Further validation of the BREAST-Q IS will be required to establish the BREAST-Q IS as a valid and reliable PROM tool for breast implant recipients following breast device surgery.