title: Work disability functional assessment battery: feasibility and psychometric properties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility and psychometric properties of 8 scales covering 2 domains of the newly developed Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB): physical function (PF) and behavioral health (BH) function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (N=973) unable to work because of a physical (n=497) or a mental (n=476) disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each disability group responded to a survey consisting of the relevant WD-FAB scales and existing measures of established validity. The WD-FAB scales were evaluated with regard to data quality (score distribution, percentage of "I don't know" responses), efficiency of administration (number of items required to achieve reliability criterion, time required to complete the scale) by computerized adaptive testing (CAT), and measurement accuracy as tested by person fit. Construct validity was assessed by examining both convergent and discriminant correlations between the WD-FAB scales and scores on same-domain and cross-domain established measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data quality was good, and CAT efficiency was high across both WD-FAB domains. Measurement accuracy was very good for PF scales; BH scales demonstrated more variability. Construct validity correlations, both convergent and divergent, between all WD-FAB scales and established measures were in the expected direction and range of magnitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data quality, CAT efficiency, person fit, and construct validity of the WD-FAB scales were well supported and suggest that the WD-FAB could be used to assess PF and BH function related to work disability. Variation in scale performance suggests the need for future work on item replenishment and refinement, particularly with regard to the Self-Efficacy scale.
authors.affiliation: Health and Disability Research Institute, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA; VA Boston Healthcare System, Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, Boston, MA. Electronic address: Meterkom@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meterko
authors.affiliation: Health and Disability Research Institute, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Marfeo
authors.affiliation: Health and Disability Research Institute, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McDonough
authors.affiliation: Health and Disability Research Institute, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jette
authors.affiliation: Health and Disability Research Institute, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Pengsheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Health and Disability Research Institute, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bogusz
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Rasch
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: Diane E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: Leighton
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation
keywords: Disability evaluation; Outcomes assessment (health care); Psychometrics; Rehabilitation; United States Social Security Administration; Validation studies