Reliability and responsiveness of the Self-Efficacy in Assessing, Training and Spotting wheelchair skills (SEATS) outcome measure

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency, test–retest reliability and responsiveness of the Self-Efficacy in Assessing, Training and Spotting manual wheelchair skills (SEATS-M) and Self-Efficacy in Assessing, Training and Spotting power wheelchair skills (SEATS-P).

Methods: A 2-week test–retest design was used with a convenience sample of occupational and physical therapists who worked at a provincial rehabilitation centre (inpatient and outpatient services). Sixteen participants completed the SEATS-M and 18 participants completed the SEATS-P.

Results: For the SEATS-M assessment, training, spotting and documentation sections, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.90 to 0.97, the 2-week intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC_1,1) ranged from 0.81 to 0.95, the standard error of measurements (SEM) ranged from 5.06 to 8.70 and the smallest real differences (SRD) ranged from 6.24 to 8.18. For the SEATS-P assessment, training, spotting and documentation sections, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 0.92, the ICCs ranged from 0.72 to 0.86, the SEMs ranged from 4.54 to 8.91 and the SRDs ranged from 5.90 to 8.27.

Conclusions: There is preliminary evidence that both the SEATS-M and the SEATS-P have high internal consistency, good test–retest reliability and support for responsiveness. These tools can be used in evaluating clinician self-efficacy with assessing, training, spotting and documenting wheelchair skills included on the Wheelchair Skills Test.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• There is preliminary evidence that the SEATS-M and SEATS-P are reliable and responsive outcome measures that can be used to evaluate the self-efficacy of clinicians to administer the Wheelchair Skills Program.

• Measurement of clinicians' self-efficacy in this area of practice may enable an enhanced understanding of the areas in which clinicians lack self-efficacy, thereby informing the development of improved knowledge translation interventions.

Keywords:

• Self-efficacy
• confidence
• wheelchair skills
• measurement
• reliability
• responsiveness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Knowledge to Action Grant, KAL-129890.