title: A telephone-based version of the spinal cord injury-secondary conditions scale: a reliability and validity study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability and validity of using a telephone-based version of the spinal cord injury-secondary conditions scale (SCI-SCS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A psychometric study was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty people with a complete or an incomplete spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inter-rater reliability was tested by comparing the telephone-based version of the SCI-SCS administered on two different days by two different telephone assessors. Validity was tested by comparing the telephone-based version of the SCI-SCS with the paper-based version of the SCI-SCS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (interquartile range) age and time since injury were 54 (48-63) years and 28 (14-35) years, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient (95% confidence interval) reflecting the agreement between the telephone-based version of the SCI-SCS administered on two different days by two different assessors was 0.96 (0.93-0.98). The corresponding value reflecting agreement between the telephone-based assessment and the paper-based assessment was 0.90 (0.83-0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The telephone-based version of the SCI-SCS is a simple and a quick questionnaire to administer that has both inter-rater reliability and validity. It may be useful as a way to screen for secondary health conditions in low- and middle-income countries where it is not always feasible to provide routine face-to-face follow-ups and where literacy may be a problem.
authors.affiliation: John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lavrencic
authors.affiliation: John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nier
authors.affiliation: John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Glinsky
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School/Northern, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone