title: Development, reliability and validity of the queensland evaluation of wheelchair skills (QEWS).
abstract: METHODS
  Psychometric studyObjectives:To develop and test a valid and reliable assessment of wheelchair skills for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI); the Queensland Evaluation of Wheelchair Skills (QEWS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phase 1: Four Delphi panel rounds with clinical experts were used to develop the QEWS. Phase 2: Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the QEWS items were examined in 100 people with SCI. Phase 3a: Concurrent validity was investigated by examining the association between QEWS total scores and physiotherapists' global ratings of wheelchair skill performance. Phase 3b: Construct validity was tested in 20 people with recent SCI by examining change in QEWS total scores between when they first mobilised in a wheelchair and scores obtained 10 weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Phase 1: The QEWS was developed. Phase 2: The intra-class correlation coefficients reflecting the intra-rater reliability and the inter-rater reliability for the QEWS total score were 1.00 and 0.98, with scores being within one point of each other 96 and 91% of the time, respectively. Phase 3a: The QEWS total scores were comparable with the global rating of wheelchair skill performance (r2=0.93). Phase 3b: The QEWS scores changed by a median (interquartile range (IQR)) of 4 (1 to 6) points over the 10-week period following first wheelchair mobilisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The QEWS is a valid and reliable tool for measuring wheelchair skills in individuals with SCI. The QEWS is efficient and practical to administer and does not require specialised equipment.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gollan
authors.affiliation: John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McPhail
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D059825:Physical Therapists; D011594:Psychometrics; D011793:Queensland; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014910:Wheelchairs; D055815:Young Adult