title: Using a goal attainment scale in the evaluation of outcomes in patients with diplegic cerebral palsy.
abstract: A goal attainment scale (GAS) was used to evaluate outcomes of surgical and non-surgical interventions to improve gait in 45 children with diplegic cerebral palsy. Personal goals were recorded during pre-intervention gait analysis in two groups. Twenty children underwent orthopaedic surgery (Group 1) and 25 children received a non-operative intervention (Group 2). Children and/or their carers were contacted post-intervention by telephone to complete a GAS questionnaire, rating the achievement of goals on a 5-point scale. The goals were similar in both groups. The composite GAS was transformed into a standardised measure (T-score) for each patient. Both groups on average achieved their goals (mean T-score for Group 2 was 56.3, versus 47.1 for Group 1). The difference between these two means was significant (p=0.010). Additionally, 16 children had undergone a follow-up gait analysis during the study period, but the relationship between their Gait Profile Score and GAS was not statistically significant. Both surgical and non-surgical interventions enabled children to achieve their goals, although Group 1 reported higher achievements. The GAS reflects patient's/parent's/carer's aspirations and may be as relevant as post-intervention kinematic or kinetic outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McMorran
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Anderson Gait Laboratory, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Anderson Gait Laboratory, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.affiliation: Anderson Gait Laboratory, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.affiliation: Anderson Gait Laboratory, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Electronic address: mark.gaston@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gaston
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000628:therapy*; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cerebral palsy; Goal attainment scale; Orthopaedic surgery