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Migrating from a legacy fixed-format measure to CAT administration: calibrating the PHQ-9 to the PROMIS depression measures

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An Erratum to this article was published on 21 November 2012

Abstract

Purpose

We provide detailed instructions for analyzing patient-reported outcome (PRO) data collected with an existing (legacy) instrument so that scores can be calibrated to the PRO Measurement Information System (PROMIS) metric. This calibration facilitates migration to computerized adaptive test (CAT) PROMIS data collection, while facilitating research using historical legacy data alongside new PROMIS data.

Methods

A cross-sectional convenience sample (n = 2,178) from the Universities of Washington and Alabama at Birmingham HIV clinics completed the PROMIS short form and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression symptom measures between August 2008 and December 2009. We calibrated the tests using item response theory. We compared measurement precision of the PHQ-9, the PROMIS short form, and simulated PROMIS CAT.

Results

Dimensionality analyses confirmed the PHQ-9 could be calibrated to the PROMIS metric. We provide code used to score the PHQ-9 on the PROMIS metric. The mean standard errors of measurement were 0.49 for the PHQ-9, 0.35 for the PROMIS short form, and 0.37, 0.28, and 0.27 for 3-, 8-, and 9-item-simulated CATs.

Conclusions

The strategy described here facilitated migration from a fixed-format legacy scale to PROMIS CAT administration and may be useful in other settings.

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Abbreviations

CAT:

Computerized adaptive testing

CFA:

Confirmatory factor analysis

CFI:

Comparative Fit Index

DIF:

Differential item functioning

PHQ-9:

Patient Health Questionnaire from the PRIME-MD depression measure

PRO:

Patient-reported outcome

PROMIS:

Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System

RMSEA:

Root mean square error of approximation

SD:

Standard deviation

SEM:

Standard error of measurement

TLI:

Tucker–Lewis Index

UW:

University of Washington

UAB:

University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants U01 AR 057954, R01 MH 084759, P30 AI 27757, P30 AI 27767, R24 AI 067039, K23 MH 082641, and the Mary Fisher CARE Fund. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is an NIH Roadmap initiative to develop a computerized system measuring PROs in respondents with a wide range of chronic diseases and demographic characteristics. PROMIS II was funded by cooperative agreements with a Statistical Center (Northwestern University, PI: David F. Cella, PhD, 1U54AR057951), a Technology Center (Northwestern University, PI: Richard C. Gershon, PhD, 1U54AR057943), a Network Center (American Institutes for Research, PI: Susan (San) D. Keller, PhD, 1U54AR057926) and thirteen Primary Research Sites (State University of New York, Stony Brook, PIs: Joan E. Broderick, PhD and Arthur A. Stone, PhD, 1U01AR057948; University of Washington, Seattle, PIs: Heidi M. Crane, MD, MPH, Paul K. Crane, MD, MPH, and Donald L. Patrick, PhD, 1U01AR057954; University of Washington, Seattle, PIs: Dagmar Amtmann, PhD, and Karon Cook, PhD1U01AR052171; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, PI: Darren A. DeWalt, MD, MPH, 2U01AR052181; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, PI: Christopher B. Forrest, MD, PhD, 1U01AR057956; Stanford University, PI: James F. Fries, MD, 2U01AR052158; Boston University, PIs: Stephen M. Haley, PhD, and David Scott Tulsky, PhD, 1U01AR057929; University of California, Los Angeles, PIs: Dinesh Khanna, MD, and Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, 1U01AR057936; University of Pittsburgh, PI: Paul A. Pilkonis, PhD, 2U01AR052155; Georgetown University, Washington DC, PIs: Carol. M. Moinpour, PhD, and Arnold L. Potosky, PhD, U01AR057971; Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, PI: Esi M. Morgan Dewitt, MD, 1U01AR057940; University of Maryland, Baltimore, PI: Lisa M. Shulman, MD, 1U01AR057967; and Duke University, PI: Kevin P. Weinfurt, PhD, 2U01AR052186). NIH Science Officers on this project have included Deborah Ader, PhD, Vanessa Ameen, MD, Susan Czajkowski, PhD, Basil Eldadah, MD, PhD, Lawrence Fine, MD, DrPH, Lawrence Fox, MD, PhD, Lynne Haverkos, MD, MPH, Thomas Hilton, PhD, Laura Lee Johnson, PhD, Michael Kozak, PhD, Peter Lyster, PhD, Donald Mattison, MD, Claudia Moy, PhD, Louis Quatrano, PhD, Bryce Reeve, PhD, William Riley, PhD, Ashley Wilder Smith, PhD, MPH, Susana Serrate-Sztein,MD, Ellen Werner, PhD, and James Witter, MD, PhD. This manuscript was reviewed by PROMIS reviewers before submission for external peer review. See the Web site at http://www.nihpromis.org for additional information on the PROMIS initiative.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359780, Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA

    Laura E. Gibbons & Paul K. Crane

  2. Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Box 359931, Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA

    Betsy J. Feldman, Heidi M. Crane & Mari M. Kitahata

  3. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1530 Third Ave S, CCB 142, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2050, USA

    Michael Mugavero

  4. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1530 Third Ave S, CCB 178, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2050, USA

    James H. Willig

  5. Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Box 359455, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98195-9455, USA

    Donald Patrick

  6. Division of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1717 11th Avenue South, 616 Medical Towers Building, Birmingham, AL, 35209, USA

    Joseph Schumacher

  7. Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 845 19th Street South, BBRB 256, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2050, USA

    Michael Saag

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  1. Laura E. Gibbons
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  9. Mari M. Kitahata
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura E. Gibbons.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found online at http://10.1007/s11136-012-0313-5.

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Gibbons, L.E., Feldman, B.J., Crane, H.M. et al. Migrating from a legacy fixed-format measure to CAT administration: calibrating the PHQ-9 to the PROMIS depression measures. Qual Life Res 20, 1349–1357 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-9882-y

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