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Investigation of test characteristics of two screening tools in comparison with a gold standard assessment to detect
Lisa Currie1, Linda Dodds, Sarah Shea
1Department of Community Health and Epidemiology;
Insights
The Rourke Baby Record (Rourke) and Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS) show promise in identifying developmental delays in high-risk children. Further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Screening Tools
- Child Health
Background:
- The diagnostic accuracy of the Rourke Baby Record (Rourke) and Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS) for detecting developmental delay remains unestablished.
- High-risk populations require validated screening tools for early identification of developmental concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the test characteristics of the Rourke and NDDS in identifying developmental delay.
- To compare the Rourke and NDDS against the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III in high-risk children.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 3-year-old children from a health center was assessed.
- Two Rourke and NDDS cut-points (one or more, two or more areas of concern) were compared with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III scores (≤85).
Main Results:
- Sensitivity was 75% for both Rourke and NDDS at one area of concern.
- Specificity reached 93% for Rourke and 96% for NDDS at two or more areas of concern.
- A majority of participants (67.7%) showed no developmental concerns.
Conclusions:
- The Rourke and NDDS demonstrate reasonable sensitivity and specificity for detecting developmental delay.
- Further investigation is warranted to fully establish the utility of these screening tools.
Background:
The ability of the Rourke Baby Record (Rourke) and the Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS) to detect developmental delay is not known.
Objective:
To determine the test characteristics of the Rourke and NDDS compared with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III for detecting developmental delay in high-risk children.
Methods:
Three-year-olds were recruited from the IWK Health Centre (Halifax, Nova Scotia). Two cut-points were evaluated (one and two or more areas of concern) from the Rourke and NDDS, and were compared with a score of ≤85 on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III.
Results:
The majority (67.7%) of the 31 participants reported no concern. At one area of concern, sensitivity was 75% for both the Rourke and NDDS. When two areas of concern were noted, specificity was 93% for the Rourke and 96% for NDDS.
Conclusions:
Both the Rourke and the NDDS appear to be reasonably sensitive and specific, but further investigation is warranted.
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