Comparison of the BTE tech EVJ handgrip to the Jamar hand dynamometer for measuring grip strength

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study compared the inter-instrument reliability of the Jamar Hand Dynamometer (Jamar) to the BTE EVJ Handgrip tool (EVJ). The EVJ is a new digital handgrip instrument designed by BTE Technologies Inc. (BTE Tech) utilizing Bluetooth technology to automatically upload data to a computer or electronic health record. METHOD: This repeated measure study engaged 338 participants (N= 199 females, N= 139 males) ages 20 to 50. All participants were tested on both devices following the protocol established by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT). RESULTS: Comparative statistics included ICC values (0.81–0.84), Pearson R (correlation coefficient) (0.68–0.77), and Bland Altman plots (93–95% of data within 2 SD), indicating good inter-instrument agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The EVJ Handgrip, developed by BTE Technologies, demonstrated good inter-instrument reliability with the Jamar Hand Dynamometer and may be reliable to use when referencing the published normative values in the clinical environment.