Development and Validation of the Hand Assessment Tool

The objective was to develop a self-administered activity limitation measurement tool for individuals with hand and wrist injuries, and to evaluate the reliability and validity of the new instrument, the Hand Assessment Tool (HAT). The final version of the HAT instrument, the SF12, and Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (DASH) were given to 94 consecutive new hand surgery clinic patients. Statistical analyses indicated excellent internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of 0.91. Test-retest reliability of the HAT showed a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.73, with 95% confidence interval=(0.60, 0.83). Excellent correlation between the HAT and DASH was noted. A modest agreement with the SF12 physical score was observed. The HAT correlated well with the DASH and SF12 physical score and proved to be an internally consistent and reliable instrument for evaluation of activity limitations for individuals who sustain wrist or hand injury.