title: Inter-rater reliability of the early functional abilities scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the inter-rater reliability of the Early Functional Abilities (EFA) scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study of inter-rater reliability in an open cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with traumatic brain injury in need of medical or surgical intervention in the early rehabilitation section of the intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The EFA was assessed by 4 different professions in the rehabilitation team. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using linear weighted kappa statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall weighted kappa values of the different EFA items varied from 0.27 to 0.60. The items in the sensorimotor functional area had the highest pairwise agreement,with a mean kappa range of 0.68–0.76. The vegetativest ability, position tolerance and wakefulness items had the lowest mean kappa values (0.49, 0.33 and 0.49, respectively). Agreement was good to excellent between the occupational therapist and physiotherapist across the majority of the items, whereas the physician and nurse agreed less with one another.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inter-rater reliability of the EFA scale was good for most items among all the raters. The scale maybe used by all members of the interdisciplinary team after training in administration and scoring. A reduction in the number of items in the vegetative functional domain is recommended.
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Oslo, Norway. Kristin.Alvsaker@oslo-universitetssykehus.no
authors: Kristin
authors: K
authors: Alvsåker
authors: Sten M
authors: SM
authors: Walther
authors: Ingerid
authors: I
authors: Kleffelgård
authors: Malin
authors: M
authors: Mongs
authors: Randi Aas
authors: RA
authors: Drægebø
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Keller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D055815:Young Adult