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Reliability and validity analysis of the transfer assessment instrument
Laura A McClure1, Michael L Boninger, Haishin Ozawa
1Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|February 1, 2011
Summary
The Transfer Assessment Instrument (TAI) is a safe and quick tool for assessing wheelchair transfers. While it shows acceptable interrater reliability, further refinement is needed for intrarater reliability and broader application.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation science
- Clinical assessment tools
- Wheelchair mobility research
Background:
- Assessing the quality of transfers is crucial for full-time wheelchair users.
- Existing outcome measures may not adequately capture transfer quality.
- A reliable and valid instrument is needed to evaluate transfer performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Transfer Assessment Instrument (TAI).
- To provide a standardized measure for assessing the quality of transfers performed by wheelchair users.
Main Methods:
- Repeated measures design.
- Convenience sample of 40 full-time wheelchair users performing pivot transfers.
- Concurrent validity assessed using Spearman correlation with a visual analog scale (VAS).
- Reliability assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).
Main Results:
- The TAI demonstrated acceptable interrater reliability (ICC = .642).
- Intrarater reliability varied widely (ICCs ranging from .35 to .89).
- Correlations with VAS ranged from .19 to .69, indicating moderate concurrent validity.
- The TAI was found to be safe, quick to administer, and used standard equipment.
Conclusions:
- The Transfer Assessment Instrument (TAI) is a safe and efficient outcome measure for wheelchair transfers.
- Further refinement of the TAI is recommended, including item modification and improved clinician education.
- The TAI has potential to address a gap in transfer assessment, but requires further validation in diverse populations.
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