Development, Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of a New Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool

Authors:
  • PHPamela E. Houghton
    Pamela E. Houghton
  • KCKaren E. Campbell
    Karen E. Campbell
  • DKDavid H. Keast
    David H. Keast
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To develop and validate an assessment tool—the Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool (LUMT)—that would be able to detect changes in the appearance of lower extremity ulcers. Twenty-two subjects with chronic leg ulcers of various etiologies (arterial, venous, diabetes) participated in the validation study. An interdisciplinary panel consisting of 9 local wound care specialists confirmed content validity. Concurrent criterion validity was determined by correlation of the size domain (1 of 14 clinician-rated domains in the LUMT) with acetate tracing measurement of wound surface area. Reliability was determined using repeated assessments by 4 wound care specialist and 2 inexperienced evaluators; responsiveness was determined using monthly reassessments by a single rater for 4 months. Concurrent criterion validity was r = 0.82. Excellent values of intrarater and interrater reliability (ICC > 0.75) were obtained for total LUMT scores and for many of the 14 individual domains; however, several domains were found to be less reproducible. The LUMT detected change in wound status over time (responsiveness coefficient = 0.84). The LUMT can be used by 1 or more assessors, with relatively little previous training, to make reproducible evaluations of lower extremity ulcer appearance and to document change in appearance over time. The LUMT represents a novel assessment tool specifically designed and validated for clinical or research use on chronic leg ulcers.
Keywords

This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit: