The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of "Shriners Hospital for Children Upper Extremity Evaluation (SHUEE)" for children with rheumatic diseases.
The study was carried out after obtaining the necessary permissions and retrospectively registered. The psychometric properties evaluated were reliability and concurrent validity. Reliability was determined by intra- and inter-observer agreement. Concurrent validity was performed using the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT), Abilhand-Rheumatoid Arthritis (Abilhand-RA), and Children Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ). The validity and reliability of the evaluation were determined after the retest 1 week later.
Twenty children with rheumatic diseases were participated in to study. Intraclass coefficients ranged from 0.82 to 0.97 and the intraobserver reliability for SHUEE total and subscales were considered "excellent." Interobserver reliability was considered "excellent" for the SHUUE total score, spontaneous functional analysis and dynamic positional analysis, and "moderate" for grasp-release. A moderate negative correlation was determined between Spontaneous Functional Analysis and JTHFT (r =  - 0.63; p = 0.003).
SHUEE is a valid and reliable evaluation for children with rheumatic diseases. ClinicalTrials.org NCT04685434/21.12.2020 Key Points • SHUEE tends to be appropriate and acceptable to children with rheumatic diseases. • SHUEE can be used safely in the pediatric rheumatology group and it is beneficial in the clinical decision-making process. • SHUEE is a pioneering performance test that evaluates the quality of movement in pediatric rheumatology on a joint basis.