Reliability of a computer and Internet survey (Computer User Profile) used by adults with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Abstract

Purpose: To determine test–re-test reliability of the ‘Computer User Profile’ (CUP) in people with and without TBI.

Method: The CUP was administered on two occasions to people with and without TBI. The CUP investigated the nature and frequency of participants’ computer and Internet use. Intra-class correlation coefficients and kappa coefficients were conducted to measure reliability of individual CUP items. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize content of responses.

Results: Sixteen adults with TBI and 40 adults without TBI were included in the study. All participants were reliable in reporting demographic information, frequency of social communication and leisure activities and computer/Internet habits and usage. Adults with TBI were reliable in 77% of their responses to survey items. Adults without TBI were reliable in 88% of their responses to survey items.

Conclusions: The CUP was practical and valuable in capturing information about social, leisure, communication and computer/Internet habits of people with and without TBI. Adults without TBI scored more items with satisfactory reliability overall in their surveys. Future studies may include larger samples and could also include an exploration of how people with/without TBI use other digital communication technologies. This may provide further information on determining technology readiness for people with TBI in therapy programmes.

• Computer
• internet
• reliability
• survey
• traumatic brain injury

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.