Validity and reliability of a novel measure of activity performance and participation

Abstract

Purpose: To develop and evaluate an innovative clinician-rated measure, which produces global numerical ratings of activity performance and participation. Method: Repeated measures study with 48 community-dwelling participants investigating clinical sensibility, comprehensiveness, practicality, inter-rater reliability, responsiveness, sensitivity and concurrent validity with Barthel Index. Results: Important clinimetric characteristics including comprehensiveness and ease of use were rated >8/10 by clinicians. Inter-rater reliability was excellent on the summary scores (intraclass correlation of 0.95–0.98). There was good evidence that the new outcome measure distinguished between known high and low functional scoring groups, including both responsiveness to change and sensitivity at the same time point in numerous tests. Concurrent validity with the Barthel Index was fair to high (Spearman Rank Order Correlation 0.32–0.85, p > 0.05). The new measure’s summary scores were nearly twice as responsive to change compared with the Barthel Index. Other more detailed data could also be generated by the new measure. Conclusions: The Activity Performance Measure is an innovative outcome instrument that showed good clinimetric qualities in this initial study. Some of the results were strong, given the sample size, and further trial and evaluation is appropriate.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• The Activity Performance Measure is an innovative outcome measure covering activity performance and participation.

• In an initial evaluation, it showed good clinimetric qualities including responsiveness to change, sensitivity, practicality, clinical sensibility, item coverage, inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity with the Barthel Index.

• Further trial and evaluation is appropriate.

• Activities of daily living
• outcome measurement
• participation
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgements

The authors specially thank Frances Wright, who as co-principal investigator was instrumental in the realization of this study. They also thank Dr. Priscilla Robinson, Anne Cattermole, Deidre Mahon, Ry Li, Maria Mercuri, Cheryl Ellix and Andrea Funke.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Supplementary material available online.

Tables S1–S13 and Figure S1.