title: Validity and reliability of a pressure ulcer monitoring tool for persons with spinal cord impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to provide support for validity and reliability of the spinal cord impairment pressure ulcer monitoring tool (SCI-PUMT) to assess pressure ulcer (PrU) healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expert panels developed a 30-item pool, including new items and items from two established PrU healing tools, to represent potential variables for monitoring PrU healing. Subjects were prospectively assessed weekly for each variable over a 12-week period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collection was conducted on a cohort of inpatients and outpatients in one Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Center in the Veterans' Health Administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of Veterans (n = 66) with spinal cord impairment (SCI) was recruited. Eligible subjects had at least one PrU (n = 167) and a history of SCI for longer than 1 year. Interventions Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  A change in PrU volume was calculated using VeV Measurement Documentation software and a digital imaging camera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Content validity was established for a pool of items designed to gauge PrU healing. Exploratory factor analysis (construct validity) identified a parsimonious set of seven items for inclusion in the SCI-PUMT to assess PrU healing. The SCI-PUMT was found to explain 59% of the variance of the volume across the study. Inter-rater reliability was 0.79 and intra-rater reliability ranged from 0.81 to 0.99 among research assistants. Similar levels of reliability were subsequently established among registered nurses, who used the SCI-PUMT in the clinical setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The final version of the SCI-PUMT was determined to be valid, reliable, and sensitive in detecting PrU healing over time in Veterans with SCI.
authors.forename: Susan S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Thomason
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Luther
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Powell-Cope
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Harrow
authors.forename: Polly
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palacios
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Bedsore; Decubitus ulcer; Pressure sore; Pressure ulcer; Spinal cord injuries