Establishing expert consensus on the evaluation of pediatric upper extremity function.

Abstract Study design Consensus statement. Introduction There is a lack of consensus in the literature on the measures of pediatric upper extremity (UE) function for musculoskeletal conditions. Purpose To establish expert consensus on utility, satisfaction and importance of functional outcome measures in children with UE musculoskeletal conditions, across International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domains. Methods Using Delphi Consensus Methodology, expert panelists completed three rounds of questionnaires. Results Agreement on Body Functions and Structure, Activity, and Participation outcome measures was determined ( α , ICC range = 0.86–0.96). Mean satisfaction of measures in the respective domains was between 6.93 and 7.94. The Activity domain had lowest satisfaction, however there was consensus it was the most important. Discussion Consensus on relative importance, but low satisfaction in the Activity domain suggests a need for better outcomes in this domain. Conclusions Findings report the status of outcome measure utility and use in pediatric UE function. Level of evidence 5