Developing a responsive measure of change for paediatric brain injury inpatient rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To describe conceptual and methodological issues to be addressed in developing a responsive clinical performance measure for paediatric brain injury inpatient rehabilitation. Selected statistical approaches used to examine responsiveness of two functional activity scales (daily and social behavioural activity) of a prototype measure are presented to illustrate these issues.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


METHODS
Data on 65 children, aged 6 months to 18 years (X = 9.5 years) were collected during 1998 and 1999 from eight sites in the USA. Responsiveness was examined using effect sizes and a number of parametric and non-parametric tests.


RESULTS
Significant improvements from admission to discharge were found on all item and scale scores (p < 0.001). Moderate significant relationships were found between activity scale change scores and external ratings of change.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings provide evidence that the activity scales have the potential to be responsive and point to issues that will need to be addressed in future measurement development.
Bedell
Gary M
GM
Center for Rehabilitation Effectiveness, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA. gbedell@bu.edu
Haley
Stephen M
SM
Coster
Wendy J
WJ
Smith
Kevin W
KW
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011594:Psychometrics; D016896:Treatment Outcome