Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index/Assistive Technology Short Forms

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Assistive Technology
• Clinical Psychometrics

Background:

• The Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index/Assistive Technology (SCI-FI/AT) is a comprehensive measure for assessing function in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
• Short forms (SFs) and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) offer efficient alternatives for data collection, but their psychometric properties require thorough evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the SCI-FI/AT short forms (SFs) in adults with SCI.
• To assess internal consistency, correlations with full item banks and CAT versions, and measurement precision across various functional domains.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional cohort study involving 460 adults with traumatic SCI across nine national centers.
• Evaluation of SCI-FI/AT SFs, a 10-item CAT, and the full item bank.
• Analysis included internal consistency, correlations, ceiling/floor effects, and test information functions.

Main Results:

• SCI-FI/AT SFs exhibited very good internal consistency and group-level reliability.
• Excellent correlations were found between SFs, the CAT version, and the total item bank.
• Acceptable ceiling and floor effects were noted, with excellent test information functions across a broad functional range.

Conclusions:

• The SCI-FI/AT SFs are psychometrically sound for assessing assistive technology-related functioning in individuals with SCI.
• These short forms are recommended for use by clinicians and researchers when CAT applications are unavailable.