Assembling a toolkit to measure geriatric rehabilitation outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To gather and assemble relevant patient-based outcome measures with emphasis placed on the older adults' level of functioning and activity performance.


METHODS
The study was conducted in two phases. First, a set of relevant measurement instruments was identified, and their was value analyzed according to general characteristics and metrologic criteria. Second, this "toolkit" was pretested on 22 older adults with respect to the burden of assessment and the quality of the data.


RESULTS
The toolkit includes eight measurement instruments related to mobility, basic activities of daily living, independent living, leisure, physical functioning, psychologic functioning, social functioning, and caregiver status. Participants' acceptance of the toolkit was high, with all subjects completing the toolkit in two sessions (30-90 mins each). The leisure participation and satisfaction measure was the most difficult to complete. Distributional properties were adequate to ascertain variability between subjects, except for a ceiling effect found for the social functioning measure.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement tools that are used in combination are needed to optimize the applicability and utility of outcome results. The toolkit has the potential to become a valuable method for researchers and clinicians reporting geriatric rehabilitation outcomes.
Demers
Louise
L
Research Centre, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Desrosiers
Johanne
J
Ska
Bernadette
B
Wolfson
Christina
C
Nikolova
Rossitza
R
Pervieux
Isabelle
I
Auger
Claudine
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011792:Quebec; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000458:organization & administration*