The inter-rater and test–retest reliability of the Self-care and Transfer scales, and intra-rater reliability of all scales of the Swedish Translation of the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures for Occupational Therapy (AusTOMs-OT-S)

Abstract

Objective: The Australian Therapy Outcome Measures for Occupational Therapy (AusTOMs-OT) are used internationally to measure the outcomes of occupational therapy services across diagnoses, ages, and health care settings. This study reports on the inter-rater and test–retest reliability of the Self-care and Transfer scales as well as the intra-rater reliability of all scales of the Swedish (AusTOMs-OT-S) translation. Methods: Fifteen occupational therapists rated 11 case study clients on two occasions, separated by two weeks. Test–retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were calculated for the Self-care scale and Transfer scales. Moreover, intra-rater reliability was calculated for each of the 15 therapists across all 12 scales. Results: The inter-rater reliability intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were all found to be high to very high, ranging from ICC 0.762 to 0.904; the intra-rater reliability coefficients were also very good with 11 of the 15 therapists achieving ICCs of 0.745 or over, and finally the test–retest ICCs were also found to be high, ranging from 0.705 to 0.920. Conclusions: Although further research is required to confirm reliability, preliminary reliability of the AusTOMs-OT Swedish translation has been demonstrated and therapists can have confidence when using the scales.

Key words::

• test–retest reliability
• outcome measure
• intra-rater reliability
• inter-rater reliability

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the occupational therapists who gave their time to learn about AusTOMS-OT-S and to participate in this research. Many thanks also to the occupational therapists who contributed to the Swedish translation of AusTOMs-OT-S, Lena Jönsson (leader of development primary care), Yvonne Londos (leader of development psychiatry), and Ewa Timén (leader of development hospital-based rehabilitation), County Council of Jönköping, Sweden. Thanks are also offered to Melissa Coulson BBSc (Hons), Research Assistant, La Trobe University for assistance with the data analysis. Finally, this research would not have been possible without a research grant from FORSS Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden, for which the authors are very grateful.

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