Inter-rater reliability of the Frenchay activities index in patients with stroke and their careers.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the inter-rater reliability of the interview-administered version of the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI).


METHODS
Comparison of FAI score on the same person when administered by two raters (mean time between interviews 15.2 days).


METHODS
Fifty-nine Oxfordshire residents who either had had a stroke (n = 35) or were the main carer (n = 24).


RESULTS
The 95% limits of agreement for the FAI totals were -9.9 to +8.4. The kappa statistic for nine of the 15 items showed a good level of agreement between the two research interviews (0.64-0.80). The other six items showed fair or moderate strength of agreement (0.26-0.52). Three items showed significant differences between the two raters p < 0.05 (Wilcoxon's sign paired rank sum test). The mean difference between the total scores was -0.76 (95% confidence interval from -1.98 to 0.46). Spearman's rho correlation coefficient for FAI totals of rater B against A was r(59) = 0.93 (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The FAI is a reliable tool for measuring outcome following stroke. Suggestions are made to strengthen the reliability, and consequently the validity of the measure.
Piercy
M
M
Occupational Therapy Department, Oxford Brookes University, UK.
Carter
J
J
Mant
J
J
Wade
D T
DT
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001244:Association; D017028:Caregivers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D006113:United Kingdom