# Agreement of PROMIS Preference (PROPr) scores generated from the PROMIS-29 + 2 and the PROMIS-16

## TL;DR

This study shows that a shorter PROMIS-16 survey gives similar health quality scores as the longer PROMIS-29+2 survey.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that the shorter PROMIS-16 can reliably replace the longer PROMIS-29+2 for calculating PROPr scores.

## Key findings

- Mean PROPr scores from PROMIS-16 and PROMIS-29+2 were nearly identical (0.532 vs. 0.535).
- Correlations between PROPr scores and pain measures were consistent across both profiles.
- Cohen’s d estimates showed small differences in effect sizes between the two profiles.

## Abstract

Preference-based summary scores are used to quantify values, differences, and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that can be used for cost-effectiveness analyses. The PROMIS-Preference (PROPr) measure is a preference-based summary score comprised of 7 PROMIS domains. The PROMIS-16 is a new PROMIS profile instrument. We evaluated the measurement properties of PROPr generated from the widely used PROMIS-29 + 2 compared with the PROMIS-16.

We performed a secondary analysis of data from an online survey of the general US population, with a longitudinal subsample who reported back pain. The survey included both the PROMIS-16 and the PROMIS-29 + 2 profiles. PROPr scores were calculated from each profile and compared by the distribution of scores, overall mean scores, product-moment correlations with pain measure scores (Oswestry Disability Index, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Pain Intensity, Interference with Enjoyment of Life, Interference with General Activity Scale, and Graded Chronic Pain Scale), and difference in mean scores in subgroups with 13 chronic health conditions (Cohen’s d).

Of the 4,115 participants in the baseline survey, 1,533 with any reported back pain were invited for the 6-month follow-up survey and 1,256 completed it. At baseline, the overall mean (SD) PROPr score was 0.532 (0.240) from PROMIS-16 and 0.535 (0.250) from PROMIS 29 + 2. At both time points, the correlations of PROPr scores with physical and mental health summary scores from the PROMIS-29 and 4 pain scales were within 0.01 between profiles. Using subgroups with chronic health conditions and comparing between profiles, Cohen’s d estimates of the difference in effect size were small (< 0.2).

PROPr scores from the 16-item PROMIS profile measure are similar to PROPr scores from the longer PROMIS-29 + 2.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-024-03827-5.

The patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS®) has widely used off-the-shelf profile instruments for adults that yield 8 health-related quality of life domain-specific scores (physical function, ability to participate in social roles and activities, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, pain interference, cognitive function - abilities, and fatigue). The shortest profile had been 29 questions. Recently, a 16-item profile (PROMIS-16) was developed to be minimally burdensome and clinically useful. In this report, we test whether an overall summary score of health-related quality of life (named PROPr) scored from the PROMIS-16 has good agreement with scores from the PROMIS-29. We find that the PROPr scores from each profile are essentially the same. These findings support the use of the shorter PROMIS-16 when desired.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-024-03827-5.