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Research Article: Reproducibility of ACT, A simple-self-administered sCreening Tool for diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Date Published: 2026-07-28

Abstract:
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is associated with pain and increased risk of foot ulceration and lower-limb amputation. Most people remain undiagnosed due to the lack of a simple, rapid, and reliable screening tool suitable for primary care. We evaluated the reproducibility of a short, self-administered screening tool (ACT) for DPN compared with the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument Questionnaire (MNSI q ) and examination (MNSI e ). In this observational study, 126 adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes were recruited from an outpatient endocrinology clinic. Participants completed the ACT questionnaire (q) + examination (e) which can be summed to create a total q + e score of 0–20, and MNSI q + e at baseline and after 14 days. Reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for continuous scores and Cohen’s kappa ( ? ) for categorical reproducibility. ACT q + e demonstrated good reproducibility with an ICC = 0.85 (ICC = 0.78 for ACT q ; ICC = 0.88 for ACT e ) which was comparable to ICC = 0.82 for MNSI q ; ICC = 0.75 for MNSI e ; ICC = 0.85 for MNSI q + e . Dichotomized classification of the overall ACT showed strong repeatability with ? = 0.83 ( ? = 0.61 ACT q and moderate-to-strong repeatability for ACT e with ? = 0.78). Symptoms showed variable agreement, with the strongest reproducibility for burning and pins-and-needles sensations. The sensory examination components of ACT e demonstrated strong agreement ( ? = 0.81). The overall ACT tool demonstrated good 14-day reproducibility compared to the overall MNSI q + e . The brevity, self-administered format, and minimal reliance on clinician expertise, support the utility of ACT as a practical screening instrument for DPN in busy, resource-limited clinical settings.

Introduction:
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is associated with pain and increased risk of foot ulceration and lower-limb amputation. Most people remain undiagnosed due to the lack of a simple, rapid, and reliable screening tool suitable for primary care. We evaluated the reproducibility of a short, self-administered screening tool (ACT) for DPN compared with the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument Questionnaire (MNSI q ) and examination (MNSI e ).

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