Evaluation of the disability assessment Longshi scale: A multicenter study

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Disability Assessment
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Disability assessment scales are crucial for patient evaluation and care planning.
• Comparing different scales like Longshi, Barthel, and modified Rankin scale (mRS) is essential for optimizing clinical practice.
• Understanding factors influencing scale performance is key to accurate disability measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors affecting the Longshi scale's performance.
• To compare the Longshi scale with the Barthel and modified Rankin scales (mRS).
• To determine the superiority of the Longshi scale for disability assessment.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 721 participants with disabilities.
• Statistical analyses included t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression.
• Evaluated scale correlations, group differences, and predictive variables for social activities.

Main Results:

• The Longshi scale demonstrated a strong positive correlation with the Barthel scale (r=0.868) and a weak negative correlation with the mRS (r=-0.185).
• Significant differences in scores were observed across seven hospitals in two provinces (F=8.034).
• The Longshi scale (β=0.251) and Barthel scale (β=0.276) positively predicted social activities; age showed a weak negative correlation with the Longshi scale (r=-0.163).

Conclusions:

• The Longshi scale's assessment is not significantly affected by training but shows regional variations.
• It exhibits strong agreement with the Barthel scale and weaker agreement with the mRS.
• The Longshi scale is a faster assessment tool that can predict social activities in individuals with disabilities.