The ScoliScreen Project - A reliability and validity study

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a progressive spinal deformity that develops during the peak growth period of adolescence. If left untreated, AIS can cause pain, postural abnormalities, and impact significantly on self-image and quality of life. In severe cases, costly spinal fusion surgery may be required.
If scoliosis can be identified early, treatment can prevent progression of the disease. Dedicated school screening programs in Australia have been abandoned and replaced by a national self-detection program. There are no published data on the effectiveness of this program, but anecdotal reports would suggest that there may be a significant number of children and adolescents with scoliosis going undetected.
With the overarching aim of improving the early detection of AIS, we have teamed up with ScoliCare, a leading company in the conservative management of scoliosis in Australia, to investigate the reliability and validity of a web-based phone application (app) called ScoliScreen for the detection of scoliosis in adolescents. The aim of this research project is to assess the reliability and validity of the methods used in the app. The ScoliScreen app has the potential to become a new tool for scoliosis screening in Australia, offering a simple, scalable, low-cost, user-friendly method of scoliosis screening. But a critical first step is to establish the reliability and validity of this app.