title: Responsiveness of Goal Attainment Scaling in comparison to two standardized measures in outcome evaluation of children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the responsiveness of Goal Attainment Scaling compared with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and the 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) in multidisciplinary rehabilitation practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study. Pretest-posttest design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three children with cerebral palsy, aged 2-13 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Goal Attainment Scaling, PEDI and GMFM-66 assessments were performed before and after six months of treatment. Physical, occupational and speech therapists constructed and scored 6-point Goal Attainment Scaling scales meeting predetermined criteria, describing the main functional goal per discipline. The contents of the three measures were compared using International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health child and youth version (ICF-CY) codes. Spearman's rho correlations between Goal Attainment Scaling change scores per discipline and change scores obtained with the PEDI functional skills scales and GMFM-66 were calculated. Complete goal attainment was compared with significant change in terms of the standardized measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty per cent of the Goal Attainment Scaling items were not covered by items of the PEDI or the GMFM-66. Inconclusive correlations were found between Goal Attainment Scaling and PEDI change scores (r 0.28-0.64). Even after exclusion of the non-corresponding items, correlations were moderate (r 0.57-0.73). Of 39/64 Goal Attainment Scaling scales scored as complete goal attainment, 16 individual PEDI scores did not show change on the corresponding scale. Low correlation was found between Goal Attainment Scaling change scores and GMFM-66 change scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Goal Attainment Scaling, PEDI and GMFM-66 were complementary in their ability to measure individual change over time in children with cerebral palsy. Using only the standardized instruments could have caused many individual rehabilitation goals actually attained being missed in the outcome evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Revant Rehabilitation Centre Breda, The Netherlands. d.steenbeek@revant.nl
authors.forename: Duco
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steenbeek
authors.forename: Jan Willem
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gorter
authors.forename: Marjolijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ketelaar
authors.forename: Krys
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galama
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindeman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome