Trauma Expectation Factor Trauma Outcome Measure

Aims: 1. To develop a novel, psychometrically sound, trauma patient expectation instrument that: a) demonstrates content validity; b) considers patient and surgeon expectations; c) predicts orthopedic outcomes; d) is reliable; e) is patient friendly; and f) is easy to score and interpret. This will be known as the Trauma Expectation Factor (TEF). 2. To develop a novel, psychometrically sound, trauma patient outcomes instrument that: a) demonstrates content validity; b) measures current condition in the same domains as the expectation instrument; c) demonstrates construct validity; d) demonstrates criterion validity; e) is reliable; f) is patient friendly; and g) is easy to score and interpret. This will be known as the Trauma Outcomes Measure (TOM). Hypotheses: H#1. A simple pre-surgical questionnaire that measures patient expectations (i.e., Trauma Expectation Factor) after an ankle fracture requiring surgery will predict an "expected" score on a standardized disease-specific ankle instrument (i.e., AAOS Foot and Ankle Core Score). H#2. A similar instrument that is reworded to assess current condition (i.e., Trauma Outcomes Measure) instead of expectations, is a valid, reliable, and responsive measure of a traumatic patient's condition. H#3. Patient and surgeon expectations of final outcome status are different; however, the differences get smaller over time.