Utilizing Multidimensional Computer Adaptive Testing to Mitigate Burden With Patient Reported Outcomes

Utilization of patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) had been limited by the lack of psychometrically sound measures scored in real-time. The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative developed a broad array of high-quality PRO measures. Towards reducing the number of items administered in measuring PROs, PROMIS employs Item Response Theory (IRT) and Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT). By only administering questions targeted to the subject's trait level, CAT has cut testing times in half(1). The IRT/CAT implementation in PROMIS is unidimensional in that there is a separate set of questions administered for each measured trait. However, there are often correlations among traits. Multidimensional IRT (MIRT) and multidimensional CAT (MCAT) provide items concerning several correlated traits, and should ameliorate patient burden. We developed an MIRT model using existing PROMIS item banks for depression and anxiety, developed MCAT software, and compared the efficiency of the MCAT approach to the unidimensional approach. Note: Research reported in this publication was supported in part by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01LM011962.