To develop and evaluate a Grip Ability Test (GAT) for clinical evaluation of hand function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by modifying a general test for hand function based entirely on activities of daily living, the Grip Function Test (GFT).
The GAT items were selected from those in the GFT that were sensitive to change in a hand training program of patients with RA. Based on a multivariate analysis, 3 items were chosen with an optimal representation of different grip types.
The reliability was high: intraobserver test r = 0.985, p < 0.001; interobserver test r = 0.948, p < 0.001; internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) 0.65. All items discriminated (p < 0.001) between patients with RA and healthy controls. The sensitivity to change in a hand training program in 24 patients with RA was significant for the total GAT (p < 0.001), as well as for the 3 items separately (p < 0.01, 0.01, and 0.05, respectively).
The GAT for patients with RA was reliable, valid, and sensitive to change. It does not require sophisticated equipment and takes 5 min to perform.