title: Manual Ability Classification System (MACS): reliability between therapists and parents in Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) has been widely used to describe the manual ability of children with cerebral palsy (CP); however its reliability has not been verified in Brazil.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Portuguese-Brazil version of the MACS by comparing the classifications given by therapists and parents of children with CP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from 90 children with CP between the ages of 4 and 18 years, who were treated at the neurology and rehabilitation clinics of a Brazilian hospital. Therapists (an occupational therapist and a student) classified manual ability (MACS) through direct observation and information provided by parents. Therapists and parents used the Portuguese-Brazil version of the MACS. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was obtained using unweighted Kappa coefficient (k) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The Chi-square test was used to identify the predominance of disagreements in the classification of parents and therapists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An almost perfect agreement resulted among therapists [K=0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.97); ICC=0.97 (95%CI 0.96-0.98)], as well as with intra-rater (therapists), with Kappa ranging between 0.83 and 0.95 and ICC between 0.96 and 0.99 for the evaluator with more and less experience in rehabilitation, respectively. The agreement between therapists and parents was fair [K=0.36 (95% CI 0.22-0.50); ICC=0.79 (95% CI 0.70-0.86)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Portuguese version of the MACS is a reliable instrument to be used jointly by parents and therapists.
authors: Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors: Daniela B R
authors: DB
authors: Silva
authors: Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, FMRP, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors: Carolina A R
authors: CA
authors: Funayama
authors: Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors: Luzia I
authors: LI
authors: Pfeifer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D059825:Physical Therapists; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
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