Reliability of the Balance Error Scoring System test is maintained during remote administration.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is a common clinical tool for assessing balance.
• Telehealth has become increasingly prevalent in healthcare delivery.
• Validating remote administration of clinical assessments is crucial for expanding telehealth services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) scores differ when administered remotely compared to in-person.
• To assess the reliability and feasibility of remote BESS administration.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-six undergraduate students (aged 19-32) participated in the study.
• Each participant completed the BESS both remotely and in-person.
• Participants were randomly assigned to complete the remote or in-person assessment first to mitigate practice effects.

Main Results:

• The mean difference between remote and in-person BESS scores was 0.711 (95% CI: 0.708-2.131).
• No statistically significant difference was found between scores obtained via remote versus in-person administration (p = 0.312).
• Remote administration of the BESS was feasible without significant challenges.

Conclusions:

• The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) demonstrates reliability when administered remotely.
• Remote BESS assessment is a viable option for telehealth applications in balance evaluation.
• This finding supports the expanded use of BESS in remote patient monitoring and virtual consultations.