The Effect of Priming of Questionnaire Content on Grip Strength in Patients With Hand and Upper Extremity Illness

Mass General Brigham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hand and Upper Extremity Illness

Treatments: Other: Grip Strength; Other: Standard PCS; Other: Positively Adjusted PCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02493127

2015P000879

Details and patient eligibility

About

Objectives:

To determine the association between priming and measurements of hand function such as grip strength

Primary null hypothesis:

There is no difference in grip strength (best of three attempts) as a percent of the opposite hand between patients that complete the standard Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) compared to patients that complete the positively adjusted PCS.

Secondary null hypotheses:

There is no difference in grip strength (last of three attempts) as a percent of the opposite hand between patients that complete the standard PCS compared to patients that complete the positively adjusted PCS.

There is no difference in grip strength (best of three attempts) before and after completing the questionnaires between patients that complete the standard PCS compared to patients that complete the positively adjusted PCS.

Full description

Priming affects all aspects of human behavior. Prior research by the investigators' group determined that completing a positively phrased version of the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) primed patients to report less disability on average than completing the standard PCS. The influence of priming can be better understood by determining if it also affects direct measurements of hand function such as grip strength measures.

Enrollment: 122 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All English-speaking adult patients visiting the Orthopaedic Hand and Upper Extremity Service

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to complete enrollment forms due to mental status or language problem

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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122 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard PCS

Experimental group

Description:

Grip strength measurements and completes standard PCS

Treatment:

Other: Standard PCS

Other: Grip Strength

Positive PCS

Experimental group

Description:

Grip strength measurements and completes positively adjusted PCS

Treatment:

Other: Grip Strength

Other: Positively Adjusted PCS