Computerized Adaptive Testing: A Modern Solution for Patient-Reported Outcomes Assessment in Orthopaedic Trauma (Motivated by the Study on PROMIS Mobility Measures in Lower Extremity Fracture Patients by Luijten et al.)

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) offers an innovative solution for assessing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in orthopedic trauma care, addressing limitations of traditional fixed-form questionnaires. Computerized Adaptive Testing tailors question selection based on individual responses, enhancing efficiency while maintaining measurement precision. This approach is particularly useful in diverse trauma patient populations, where traditional methods often fail to account for individual variability. The study by Luijten et al. (2025) demonstrates Computerized Adaptive Testing’s effectiveness in evaluating mobility outcomes in lower extremity fracture patients, showing reduced completion time and better discrimination between clinically relevant subgroups compared to legacy instruments. The research found that Computerized Adaptive Testing was highly correlated with traditional measures, supporting its potential as a superior tool in clinical and research settings. However, Computerized Adaptive Testing's success depends on well-calibrated item banks and may face challenges such as technology access and digital literacy. Future research should focus on refining Computerized Adaptive Testing methodology and expanding item banks to improve real-world implementation in healthcare.