Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 May;21(4):651-7.
doi: 10.1007/s11136-011-9960-1. Epub 2011 Jul 6.

Rating the methodological quality in systematic reviews of studies on measurement properties: a scoring system for the COSMIN checklist

Caroline B Terwee  1 , Lidwine B Mokkink, Dirk L Knol, Raymond W J G Ostelo, Lex M Bouter, Henrica C W de Vet
Affiliations

Rating the methodological quality in systematic reviews of studies on measurement properties: a scoring system for the COSMIN checklist

Caroline B Terwee et al. Qual Life Res. 2012 May.

Abstract

Background: The COSMIN checklist is a standardized tool for assessing the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties. It contains 9 boxes, each dealing with one measurement property, with 5-18 items per box about design aspects and statistical methods. Our aim was to develop a scoring system for the COSMIN checklist to calculate quality scores per measurement property when using the checklist in systematic reviews of measurement properties.

Methods: The scoring system was developed based on discussions among experts and testing of the scoring system on 46 articles from a systematic review. Four response options were defined for each COSMIN item (excellent, good, fair, and poor). A quality score per measurement property is obtained by taking the lowest rating of any item in a box ("worst score counts").

Results: Specific criteria for excellent, good, fair, and poor quality for each COSMIN item are described. In defining the criteria, the "worst score counts" algorithm was taken into consideration. This means that only fatal flaws were defined as poor quality. The scores of the 46 articles show how the scoring system can be used to provide an overview of the methodological quality of studies included in a systematic review of measurement properties.

Conclusions: Based on experience in testing this scoring system on 46 articles, the COSMIN checklist with the proposed scoring system seems to be a useful tool for assessing the methodological quality of studies included in systematic reviews of measurement properties.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentage of studies with excellent, good, fair, or poor quality. Included number of studies: Internal consistency 35; reliability 36; measurement error 21; content validity 16; structural validity 11; construct validity (hypotheses testing) 41; translation 25; responsiveness 37 (criterion validity was not assessed in any of the studies)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mokkink LB, Terwee CB, Stratford PW, Alonso J, Patrick DL, Riphagen I, et al. Evaluation of the methodological quality of systematic reviews of health status measurement instruments. Quality of Life Research. 2009;18:313–333. doi: 10.1007/s11136-009-9451-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Higgins, J. P. T. & Green, S. (Eds.). (2009). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.0.2 [updated September 2009]. (Available from www.cochrane-handbook.org: Cochrane Collaboration).
    1. Haywood KL, Garratt AM, Fitzpatrick R. Quality of life in older people: A structured review of self-assessed health instruments. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. 2006;6:181–194. doi: 10.1586/14737167.6.2.181. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alla S, Sullivan SJ, Hale L, McCrory P. Self-report scales/checklists for the measurement of concussion symptoms: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;43(Suppl 1):i3–i12. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.058339. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Marinus J, Ramaker C, van Hilten JJ, Stiggelbout AM. Health related quality of life in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review of disease specific instruments. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2002;72:241–248. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.72.2.241. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources