title: Intrarater and Interrater Reliability of the Hierarchical Balance Short Forms in Patients With Stroke.
abstract: To examine the intrarater and interrater reliability of a quick balance measure, the Hierarchical Balance Short Forms (HBSF), in outpatients with stroke receiving rehabilitation.
  
  
  
  A repeated-assessments design (1wk apart) was used to examine the intrarater and interrater reliability of the HBSF. The HBSF was administered by a single rater in the intrarater reliability study and by 2 raters in the interrater reliability study. The raters had sufficient working experience in stroke rehabilitation.
  
  
  
  Seven teaching hospitals.
  
  
  
  Two independent groups of outpatients (N=106; each group, n=53) with stroke in chronic stages and in stable medical condition were recruited.
  
  
  
  Not applicable.
  
  
  
  HBSF.
  
  
  
  For the intrarater reliability study, the values of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), minimal detectable change (MDC), and percentage of minimal detectable change (MDC%) were .95, 1.02, and 16.3%, respectively, for the HBSF. The 95% limits of agreement (LOA) of the HBSF ranged from -.69 to 1.19. For the interrater reliability study, the values of the ICC, MDC, and MDC% were .91, 1.22, and 18.3%, respectively, for the HBSF. The 95% LOA of the HBSF ranged from -1.01 to 1.35.
  
  
  
  Our results suggest that the HBSF has satisfactory intrarater and interrater reliability for assessing balance function in outpatients with stroke. The MDC values of the HBSF are useful for both researchers and clinicians to determine whether the change in balance function of an individual patient is real when administered by an individual rater or by different raters.
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuan-Lin
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheau-Ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Occupational Therapy Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Shian
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Occupational Therapy, Taipei City Hospital Songde Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: clhsieh@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ching-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000592:standards*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Postural balance; Rehabilitation; Reproducibility of results; Stroke