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Reliability Study (reliability + study)
Selected AbstractsThe use of the comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for low back pain in clinical practice: a reliability studyPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2009Roger Hilfiker Abstract Background and Purpose.,The comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for low back pain (LBP) can be used to describe functioning and the influence of the environment of patients with LBP with a selection of 78 categories, from the ICF components ,body functions', ,body structures', ,activities and participation' and ,environmental factors'. The reliability of the qualifiers' scale of the ICF Core Set for LBP has not yet been studied.,Methods.,Reliability study was conducted in three study centres in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. In the first step, two physiotherapists independently assessed 31 patients with LBP with the original qualifier scale of the 78 ICF categories from the comprehensive ICF Core Set for LBP. After the first 31 patients, inter-rater reliability was assessed and the response options were reduced based on a Rasch analysis. The second sample (n = 30) was assessed by the physiotherapists with the modified qualifier scale and inter-rater reliability was calculated again.,Results.,The percentage agreement for the ICF categories ranged from 19% to 87%, mean 44% (nominal kappa from ,0.73 to 0.54, median 0.22; weighted kappa ,0.2 to 0.69, median 0.38) in the first round with the original qualifier scale. In the second round with the reduced response options, the percentage agreement ranged from 23% to 90%, mean 49% (nominal kappa from ,0.15 to 0.71, median 0.24; weighted kappa ,0.16 to 0.81, median 0.25). The overall percentage agreement was 44% in the first round and 49% with the reduced response categories. The overall kappa value in the first round was 0.29 and in the second round 0.32. There was a small but statistically significant improvement in the agreement.,Conclusion.,The low-to-moderate reliability found in this study requires an improved operationalization (e.g. the definition and description of each response category) and improved instructions for the ICF Core Set for LBP. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Comparison of Additional Costs for Several Replacement Strategies of Randomly Ageing Reinforced Concrete PipesCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 7 2009Franck Schoefs Some of them carry seawater and can deteriorate with time because of internal corrosion. Because of the low O2 content of aggressive water, slow corrosion is expected for such applications. If the RCPs are not periodically replaced, they will eventually fail. Replacement strategies for these pipes depend on (1) the risks associated with the failure of the water distribution network, and (2) the costs associated with replacing the pipes, including the removal of existing pipes, installation of new pipes, and associated production losses. Because of the lack of statistical data regarding RCP failure, the development of a risk-based replacement strategy is not an easy task. This article demonstrates how predictive models for the evolution of the failure of RCPs and the associated consequences of failure can be used to develop risk-based replacement strategies for RCPs. An application for the replacement strategies of a network modeled as a system consisting of 228 RCPs is presented as a case study. We focus on the assessment of the number of replaced components that governs the costs. The main objective of this article is to provide a theoretical approach for comparing replacement strategies, based on (1) the results of a reliability study, (2) the representation of the distributions of failed components (binomial distribution), and (3) the decision tree representation for replacement of RCPs. A focus on the scatter of the induced costs themselves is suggested to emphasize the financial risk. [source] A validity and reliability study of assessment and screening for sustained withdrawal reaction in infancy: The Alarm Distress Baby scale,INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2001Antoine Guedeney Sustained withdrawal behavior in infancy is an important alarm signal to draw attention to both organic and relationship disorders. A withdrawal scale, the Alarm Distress Baby scale (ADBB), for infants between 2 and 24 months of age was built. This article describes the construction of the scale and the assessment of its psychometric properties. The ADBB has good content validity, based on the advice of seven experts. The scale has good criterion validity: first, as a measure of the infant's withdrawal reaction, with a very good correlation between nurse and pediatrician on the ADBB (rs = 0.84), and second, as a screening procedure for detecting the developmental risk of the infant. The cutoff score of 5 with a sensitivity of 0.82 and a specificity of 0.78 was determined to be optimal for screening purposes. The scale has good construct validity, with good convergent validity with both the Spitz (1951) and the Herzog & Rathbun (1982) lists of symptoms of infant depression (rs = 0.61 and 0.60, respectively). Exploratory factor analysis showed two different factors, consistent with the scale's construct. Reliability was satisfactory with good internal consistency for both subscales (the Cronbach , = 0.80 for the first subscale and 0.79 for the second) and for the global scale (, = 0.83). The test-retest procedure showed good stability over time (rs = 0.90 and 0.84 for the two different raters). The scale could be used in different clinical settings, provided a sufficient level of social stimulation is given to the infant in a relatively brief period of time. The scale can be used by nurses and psychologists or by medical doctors after a short period of training. © 2001 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source] The Apathy Inventory: assessment of apathy and awareness in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 12 2002P. H. Robert Abstract Objective This study was designed to establish the validity and reliability of the apathy inventory (IA), a rating scale for global assessment of apathy and separate assessment of emotional blunting, lack of initiative, and lack of interest. Method Information for the IA can be obtained from the patient or from a caregiver. We evaluated 115 subjects using the IA, consisting of 19 healthy elderly subjects, 24 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), 12 subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 60 subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results Internal consistency, item reliability, and between,rater reliability were high. A test,retest reliability study demonstrated that caregiver responses to IA questions were stable over short intervals. A concurrent validity study showed that the IA assesses apathy as effectively as the Neuro Psychiatric Inventory apathy domain. In the caregiver-based evaluation, AD subjects had significantly higher scores than controls, both for global apathy score and for the lack of interest dimension. When the AD patients were subdivided according to diagnostic criteria for apathy, apathetic patients had significantly higher scores than non apathetic patients. With the patient-based evaluations, no differences were found among the AD, MCI and control groups. The scores in the patient-based evaluations were only higher for the PD group versus the control subjects. The results also indicated that AD patients had poor awareness of their emotional blunting and lack of initiative. Conclusions The IA is a reliable method for assessing in demented and non-demented elderly subjects several dimensions of the apathetic syndrome, and also the subject's awareness of these symptoms. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Quantification of dental caries by osteologists and odontologists,a validity and reliability study,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 5 2010C. Liebe-Harkort Abstract As in modern populations, dental caries in early populations is linked to diet and general health. In order to record not only advanced disease states with frank cavitation of teeth but also early lesions, indicating the presence of the disease in a population, it is important that the archaeologist can correctly detect and classify lesions of varying severity. The present study compares and contrasts quantification of dental caries by osteologists and odontologists. Four osteologists and four odontologists undertook visual and radiographic inspection of 61 teeth from three different sources: medieval, 19th century and modern. Separate sets of criteria were applied to disclose observer confidence in detecting a lesion and in estimating lesion extent. For validation of visual assessments, the teeth were sectioned. Radiographic assessments were validated by a specialist in dental radiography. The results disclosed that the odontologists in general showed greater sensitivity than the osteologists, correctly identifying carious lesions, but the osteologists had higher specificity, correctly identifying healthy teeth. Thus, the osteologists tend to overlook carious lesions (under-diagnosis), while the odontologists tend to incorrectly record lesions in healthy teeth (over-diagnosis). For both osteologists and odontologists, correct assessment was poorer for radiographs than for visual inspection. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] EPUAP classification system for pressure ulcers: European reliability studyJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2007Dimitri Beeckman Abstract Title.,EPUAP classification system for pressure ulcers: European reliability study Aim., This paper is a report of a study of the inter-observer reliability of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel pressure ulcer classification system and of the differential diagnosis between moisture lesions and pressure ulcers. Background., Pressure ulcer classification is a valuable tool to provide a common description of ulcer severity for the purposes of clinical practice, audit and research. Despite everyday use of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel system, its reliability has been evaluated in only a limited number of studies. Methods., A survey was carried out between September 2005 and February 2006 with a convenience sample of 1452 nurses from five European countries. Respondents classified 20 validated photographs as normal skin, blanchable erythema, pressure ulcers (four grades), moisture lesion or combined lesion. The nurses were familiar with the use of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel classification scale. Results., Pressure ulcers were often classified erroneously (, = 0·33) and only a minority of nurses reached a substantial level of agreement. Grade 3 lesions were regularly classified as grade 2. Non-blanchable erythema was frequently assessed incorrectly as blanchable erythema. Furthermore, the differential diagnosis between moisture lesions and pressure ulcers appeared to be complicated. Conclusion., Inter-observer reliability of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel classification system was low. Evaluation thus needs to focus on both the clarity and complexity of the system. Definitions and unambiguous descriptions of pressure ulcer grades and the distinction between moisture lesions will probably enhance clarity. To simplify the current classification system, a reduction in the number of grades is suggested. [source] Detection of Mild Hyposalivation in Elderly People Based on the Chewing Time of Specifically Designed Disc Tests: Diagnostic AccuracyJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2009DrOdont, Isabelle Madinier DDS OBJECTIVES: To compare sialometry with chewing time (including swallowing) of specifically designed disc tests. DESIGN: Index test versus reference standard (sialometry; 60 patients); reliability study (10 patients). SETTING: Outpatient dental clinic and geriatric ward, Nice University Hospital, France. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty adults and 30 older patients (mean ages 47 and 84). INTERVENTION: Index test assessment in patients with and without hyposalivation. MEASUREMENTS: Data from medical files, interviews and oral examination were collected. Sialometry (stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR) mL/min) and disc chewing times (seconds) were measured. RESULTS: Sialometry was too long and was inappropriate for five of the 30 older persons. Chewing times were negatively correlated to sialometry results (Spearman correlation coefficient (R)=0.77, P<.001). The threshold to diagnose hyposalivation (SSFR <1 mL/min) was 40 seconds (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)=0.921, 100% sensitivity, 72% specificity). Twenty-seven subjects with a SSFR less than 1.5 mL/min had a chewing time longer than 40 seconds, suggesting that mild hyposalivation and eating difficulties were related (AUC=0.941, 93% sensitivity, 88% specificity). Mean chewing time was greater with xerostomia (51.9 vs 30.7 seconds, P<.001) but not with dental pain (39.5 vs 39.9, P=.96). Masticatory percentage (e.g., pairs of antagonistic teeth) had no effect on chewing time (SSFR <1 mL/min, AUC=0.921; SSFR <1.5 mL/min, AUC=0.950). Reliability was better for the disc test than for sialometry (intraclass correlation 0.85 vs 0.70). CONCLUSION: This disc test was conceived to detect mild hyposalivation in geriatric patients with impaired dental health. Early detection of hyposalivation could help to suppress or avoid xerostomia-inducing drugs and to prevent oral infections and dental caries. [source] Assessment of anger coping skills in individuals with intellectual disabilitiesJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2005P. Willner Abstract Recent controlled studies have supported the effectiveness of anger management training for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). This report describes an evaluation instrument designed to assess their usage of specific anger coping skills. The Profile of Anger Coping Skills (PACS) is designed for completion by a staff member or carer. Three situations are first elicited in which a client frequently displays anger. The respondent then rates each situation for the extent to which the client deploys each of eight behavioural and cognitive coping skills. In a preliminary reliability study, 20 users of a day service for people with IDs were rated independently by two staff members, with one of them completing the assessment on two separate occasions: the PACS showed good test,retest reliability and lower, but still acceptable, interrater reliability. The PACS was subsequently used, in a different day service, as part of the assessment pack administered before and after a 12-week anger management group, with a parallel assessment of an untreated control group. The treated group showed substantial decreases in measures of anger, which were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Increases in PACS-rated anger coping skills were also seen in all participants in the anger management group, but not in the control group. There were differences in the extent to which different coping skills were acquired by the treated group, and there were also individual differences in the profile of specific skills acquired. It is concluded that the PACS is a reliable instrument for assessing anger coping skills, particularly when used repeatedly with the same informant. It provides information that is useful for both individual care planning and the design of future anger management programmes. [source] Medico-legal assessment of disability in narcolepsy: an interobserver reliability studyJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008FRANCESCA INGRAVALLO Summary Impairment because of narcolepsy strongly limits job performance, but there are no standard criteria to assess disability in people with narcolepsy and a scale of disease severity is still lacking. We explored: (1) the interobserver reliability among Italian Medical Commissions making disability and handicap benefit decisions for people with narcolepsy, searching for correlations between the recognized disability degree and patients' features; (2) the willingness to report patients to the driving licence authority and (3) possible sources of variance in judgement. Fifteen narcoleptic patients were examined by four Medical Commissions in simulated sessions. Raw agreement and interobserver reliability among Commissions were calculated for disability and handicap benefit decisions and for driving licence decisions. Levels of judgement differed on percentage of disability (P < 0.001), severity of handicap (P = 0.0007) and the need to inform the driving licence authority (P = 0.032). Interobserver reliability ranged from Kappa = ,0.10 to 0.35 for disability benefit decision and from Kappa = ,0.26 to 0.36 for handicap benefit decision. The raw agreement on driving licence decision ranged from 73% to 100% (Kappa not calculable). Spearman's correlation between percentages of disability and patients' features showed correlations with age, daytime naps, sleepiness, cataplexy and quality of life. This first interobserver reliability study on social benefit decisions for narcolepsy shows the difficulty of reaching an agreement in this field, mainly because of variance in interpretation of the assessment criteria. The minimum set of indicators of disease severity correlating with patients' self assessments encourages a disability classification of narcolepsy. [source] Reliability of knee joint range of motion and circumference measurements after total knee arthroplasty: does tester experience matter?PHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2010Thomas Linding Jakobsen Abstract Background and Purpose.,Two of the most utilized outcome measures to assess knee joint range of motion (ROM) and intra-articular effusion are goniometry and circumference, respectively. Neither goniometry nor circumference of the knee joint have been examined for both intra-tester and inter-tester in patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to determine the intra-tester and inter-tester reliability of active and passive knee joint ROM and circumference in patients with TKA when administered by physiotherapists (testers) with different clinical experience.,Method.,The design was an intra-tester, inter-tester and intra-day reliability study. Nineteen outpatients (10 females) having received a TKA were examined by an inexperienced and an experienced physiotherapist. Following a standardized protocol, active and passive knee joint ROM and circumference measurements were obtained using a universal goniometer and a tape measure, respectively. To establish reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1) and smallest real difference (SRD) were calculated.,Results.,The knee joint ROM and circumference measurements were generally reliable (ICC > 0.8) within and between physiotherapists (except passive knee extension). Changes in knee joint ROM of more than 6.6° and 10° (except active knee flexion) and knee joint circumference of more than 1.0,cm and 1.63,cm represent a real clinical improvement (SRD) or deterioration for a single individual within and between physiotherapists, respectively. Generally, the experienced tester recorded larger knee joint ROM and lower circumference values than that of the inexperienced tester.,Conclusions.,In clinical practice, we suggest that repeated knee goniometric and circumferential measurements should be recorded by the same physiotherapist in individual patients with TKA. Tester experience appears not to influence the degree of reliability. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The use of the comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for low back pain in clinical practice: a reliability studyPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2009Roger Hilfiker Abstract Background and Purpose.,The comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for low back pain (LBP) can be used to describe functioning and the influence of the environment of patients with LBP with a selection of 78 categories, from the ICF components ,body functions', ,body structures', ,activities and participation' and ,environmental factors'. The reliability of the qualifiers' scale of the ICF Core Set for LBP has not yet been studied.,Methods.,Reliability study was conducted in three study centres in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. In the first step, two physiotherapists independently assessed 31 patients with LBP with the original qualifier scale of the 78 ICF categories from the comprehensive ICF Core Set for LBP. After the first 31 patients, inter-rater reliability was assessed and the response options were reduced based on a Rasch analysis. The second sample (n = 30) was assessed by the physiotherapists with the modified qualifier scale and inter-rater reliability was calculated again.,Results.,The percentage agreement for the ICF categories ranged from 19% to 87%, mean 44% (nominal kappa from ,0.73 to 0.54, median 0.22; weighted kappa ,0.2 to 0.69, median 0.38) in the first round with the original qualifier scale. In the second round with the reduced response options, the percentage agreement ranged from 23% to 90%, mean 49% (nominal kappa from ,0.15 to 0.71, median 0.24; weighted kappa ,0.16 to 0.81, median 0.25). The overall percentage agreement was 44% in the first round and 49% with the reduced response categories. The overall kappa value in the first round was 0.29 and in the second round 0.32. There was a small but statistically significant improvement in the agreement.,Conclusion.,The low-to-moderate reliability found in this study requires an improved operationalization (e.g. the definition and description of each response category) and improved instructions for the ICF Core Set for LBP. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of a Japanese Version of the Care Planning Assessment ToolAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 1 2010Sumiko Kanegae Aim:, To develop a Japanese version of the Care Planning Assessment Tool (J-CPAT), originally developed in Australia as a comprehensive assessment of people with dementia. Methods:, The process of adapting the CPAT into Japanese included translation into Japanese, assessment of item comprehension, and a validity and reliability study. The J-CPAT is composed of eight domains: Communication, physical problems, self-help skills, confusion, behaviour, social interaction, psychiatric observations and carer dependency. The participants were 199 aged care clients. Measures were the J-CPAT, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Care Levels used in the Long-term Care Insurance scheme. Results:, Cronbach's alpha values in each J-CPAT domain were 0.74,0.95. The correlation coefficient between the score of Confusion and MMSE was ,0.90, and those between physical problems, self-help skills, carer dependency in the J-CPAT, and care level were 0.70, 0.75 and 0.67. Conclusions:, The J-CPAT appears to be a reliable and valid tool for care planning in Japan. [source] How well does a telephone questionnaire measure drinking water intake?AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2000Brent Robertson Background:Few studies have assessed the validity or reliability of drinking water intake estimations. In studies investigating potential waterborne disease, this is very important. Methods:We carried out a validity and reliability study to evaluate water intake estimations. The validity part of the study compared a telephone questionnaire to a diary. The reliability part of the study compared two telephone questionnaires. Results:253 participants were recruited. The most commonly consumed water intake categories were plain and boiled tap water. For persons aged less than 12 years, the median volume of plain water consumption was 2.9 glasses/day according to the diary. For persons aged 12 years and over, the median volume of plain water consumption was 3.0 glasses/day and for boiled water 3.0 glasses/day according to the diary. There was negligible systematic over or under reporting by participants for the telephone questionnaire in comparison to the diary and for the comparison of both telephone questionnaires. Water intake estimates were converted to categorical variables and the per cent agreement and weighted kappa statistics were calculated. For both the validity and reliability parts of the study the per cent agreement was 57,78% and the weighted kappa was 0.57,0.81. Conclusion:Water intake estimates show only moderate levels of validity and reliability when using a telephone questionnaire in comparison to a diary. Implications:Investigators of potential waterborne disease or nutritional research should exercise some caution in drawing conclusions from minor differences in drinking water intake that are obtained from a telephone questionnaire. [source] Validity and reliability study for the NEI-VFO-39 scale in chronic ophthalmic diseases , Turkish versionACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010Emine Iyigun Abstract. Purpose:, To test the reliability and validity of National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-39) in patients with glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Methods:, The study was carried out on 210 patients and 51 control subjects. The data were collected by using a data collection form and NEI-VFQ-39. Statistical analyses were performed with spss for Windows version 15.0. Results:, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.96 for the whole group. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was between 0.97 and 0.56 for the subscales. There was a strong relationship (r > 0.80) in 12.8% with dual correlation in NEI-VFQ-39 global scales and subscales and their correlations in all participant groups. There was a statistically significant difference for the NEI-VFn global and subscale scores between the control and patient groups except for general health and ocular pain. Conclusions:, We found that the NEI-VFQ-39 was a valid and reliable scale to determine the quality of life in Turkish patients with chronic ophthalmic disease. [source] | ||||||||||