Leonard N. Matheson

Development of a measure of perceived functional ability

The intra-test and test-retest reliability of the Spinal Function Sort was assessed in a multisite study involving 180 disabled subjects. The results of this study demonstrate the reliability of the instrument across a variety of sites. In addition, this study demonstrated both differences in absolute scores and a pattern of reactivity to the instrument that suggests that perceived functional ability may be affected by the subjects degree of chronicity measured in terms of the time that elapsed between date of injury and datae of testing.

Reliability of a visual analog version of the QuickDASH

BACKGROUND The QuickDASH, an abbreviated form of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, uses a graded-adjectives ordinal measurement response scale. In order to improve the sensitivity of the measure and to make it compatible with widely used measures of pain and disability, a visual analog scale version was developed. The present study investigated the reliability of the new version over time when used for the evaluation of patients undergoing treatment. METHODS A test-retest model with a two-day interval was used to evaluate a sample of thirty-eight consecutive patients in an interdisciplinary tertiary rehabilitation setting who were identified as having an upper extremity disorder. RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficient indicating test-retest reliability was 0.90 for the eleven-item QuickDASH visual analog scale questionnaire (without the work component) and 0.94 for the fifteen-item questionnaire (with the work component), neither of which was significantly different from the results reported for the original questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS The QuickDASH visual analog scale questionnaire has acceptable reliability over time, and it can be used as an alternative to the original QuickDASH.

A test to measure lift capacity of physically impaired adults : Part 1. Development and reliability testing

Study Design. Two laboratory studies end one field study evaluated the safety and test-retest reliability of a new test of lift capacity. The first two studies were conducted in a carefully controlled laboratory selling. The first study investigated the safely and intra-rater reliability of the EPIC Lift Capacity test protocol with healthy adult subjects. The second study assessed the safety and inter-rater reliability of the test with disabled subjects. The third study was conducted in the field with 65 evaluates and investigated the safety and intra-rater reliability of the test with healthy adult subjects. Objective. To assess the safety and reliability of a new test of lift capacity. Summary of Background Data. A new test of lift capacity baa been developed. Test development occurred within the context of ergonomic standards and guidelines of the major professional associations and public agencies that govern test development in the United States. Methods. In study no, 1, 26 healthy subjects participated. In study no. 2, 14 disabled subjects participated. In study no. 3, 318 healthy subjects participated. After subjects underwent basic screening and warm-up, the EPIC Lift Capacity test was administered, Ono to 2 weeks later, the test was administered again. Correlations between the times of testing were calculated. Results. No subjects were Injured, Hamstring soreness the next day that resolved without complication was reported by some healthy subjects. None of the disabled subjects reported new symptoms. Conclusion. The safety and reliability of the EPIC Lift Capacity test was adequately demonstrated in a laboratory setting and across multiple field sites with evaluators who have varying types and degrees of professional preparation.

Effect of instructions on isokinetic trunk strength testing variability, reliability, absolute value, and predictive validity.

Although isokinetic strength testing has been in use for more than two decades, and numerous studies have addressed isokinetic performance of the lumbar spine, the effect of instructions on isokinetic trunk strength has not been studied. In a sample of 30 healthy women, this study examined the effect of “high-demand” instructions on lumbar strength performance. High-demand instructions were found to have a substantial positive effect on performance variability, reliability, absolute magnitude, and validity. Under these conditions, isokinetic trunk strength was found to be predictive of performance in a frequent lifting-lowering task.

Standardized evaluation of work capacity

A standardized method of evaluation of the work capacity of persons who are impaired by soft-tissue injuries is described. A demonstration project which involved testing 64 impaired subjects is described. The Cal-FCP test battery can be administered independently by a properly trained professional or by a technician under a physicians supervision and requires two hours or less to complete. This study demonstrated that the results of the test battery are unbiased in terms of both gender and age and can be applied to a standardized disability rating system.

A test to measure lift capacity of physically impaired adults. Part 2--Reactivity in a patient sample.

Study Design. Test reactivity is the based on the idea that experience with a test may affect performance on subsequent teats, independent or what the test purports to measure. The reactivity of a test of lift capacity was studied in a single-blind randomized clinical trial in which subjects ware assigned to one of two groups, One group received lift testing before and after a therapeutic trial, while the other croup received lift testing only at the contusion of the therapeutic trial. Objective. To measure the reactivity of a lift capacity test over the course of treatment. Summary of Background Data. The reactivity of a test is an important criterion by which an outcome measure must be judged. Change in response to treatment is assumed to be independent of changes resulting from the evaluees experience with the test, although this is rarely addressed. Methods. The EPIC Lift Capacity test was administered to 55 patients with low back pain in a treatment program after they were randomized into a pre-test/post-test and a post-test only group. Additional measures were taken on a pre-test/post-test basis for all subjects. Results. Analyses of variance demonstrated no difference between the randomized groups after treatment. However, the pre-test/post-test group demonstrated significant improvement over the course of treatment. Other measures of outcome were similarly affected. Conclusion. The reactivity of the EPIC Lift Capacity test was negligible fiver an 8-week treatment regimen that did not include lifting tasks.

Development and construct validation of the Hand Function Sort.

The construct validity of the Hand Function Sort (HFS) was investigated in 126 adults of working age (65% male) with medical impairments. Principal components factor analysis identified one major factor and two minor factors, which was consistent with the findings of a subsequent Harris Image Analysis. A Kaiser Image Analysis identified seven factors, partitioning the first global factor. Construct validity also was studied. HFS scores of subjects who had impairment of the dominant upper extremity were compared with subjects whose dominant upper extremities were not impaired. Significant differences were found between groups for total scores and in categories of tasks for which hand dominance was likely to be important. Conversely, there were no significant differences with tasks for which hand dominance was not important. HFS scores were compared with grip strength, which accounted for significant variance in the total HFS score. When categories of tasks were considered, substantial variance in the factors for which grip strength was important was accounted for by grip strength. For tasks in which grip strength was not likely to be important, variance accounted for by grip strength was negligible.

Development of the Functional Assessment Taxonomy

The development of the Functional Assessment Taxonomy is described and the taxonomy is presented. The taxonomy provides a method to classify and organize constructs that are used to assess the functional abilities of people with medical impairments to determine work disability. The taxonomy has 131 constructs that are organized into 33 conceptual factors that are nested in 5 domains. Each construct is defined and is categorized in terms of the work disability model and the unit of analysis that is commonly used to measure the construct. The use of the taxonomy in the Disability Methodology Redesign Project is described. Other possible uses for the taxonomy are presented.

Reliability and validity of the Milliken Activities of Daily Living Scale.

Development of a self-report measure of activity limitation that combines measures of ability with necessity is described. The history of the Milliken Activities of Daily Living Scale (MAS) is traced, and the current measure is described. The test–retest reliability and concurrent validity of the MAS is studied. The MAS is found to have excellent reliability and good validity. The utility of the instrument to guide clinical practice is described, with a discussion of the importance of client-centered self-report measures of activity limitation.

The reliability and validity of two new tests of maximum lifting capacity

This study investigated the test-retest reliability and validity of the isokinetic and gravity/inertia modes of the Lido LiftTM and the Progressive Lifting Capacity II test (PLC II). Maximum lifting capacity tests were performed in the isokinetic and gravity/inertia modes on the Lido Lift and with the PLC II with 29 healthy male subjects. Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated to determine the test-retest reliabilities and to compare PLC II test values with isokinetic and gravity/inertia test values. The correlations for the isokinetic, gravity inertia, and the PLC II werer=.90, .82, and .91, respectively. The correlations between the isokinetic and gravity/inertia tests and the PLC II werer=.64 and .74 during the test andr=.72 and .81 during the retest. The results of this study support the reliability of both Lido LiftTM tests and of the PLC II, and the validity of the isokinetic and gravity/inertia tests when compared to the PLC II.