Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025
Author Spotlight: Developing Low-Tech Balance Assessment Methods for Broad-Spectrum Healthcare Applications
Published on: September 1, 2023
Systematic Development and Validity Evidence for a Checklist to Assess Bed Mobility Skills Among Physical Therapy
Heidi R Roth1, Elizabeth E Holland, Lynn Goh
1Dep. of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 645 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Tel 312-503-6018. Heidi.roth1@northwestern.edu.
Introduction:
Assessments with strong validity evidence are necessary to accurately assess health professions students' performance of clinical skills. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a checklist assessment of physical therapy students' performance of bed mobility skills.
Methods:
A checklist was developed using a 4-step process: 1) evidence review and preliminary checklist development, 2) Delphi review to reach consensus on content, 3) pilot testing and checklist editing, 4) final round of Delphi review. Consensus during Delphi review was defined as 100% of participants rating an item "keep as is" and zero comments in Round 1, and >50% of participants rating each item agree/strongly agree in subsequent Delphi rounds. Interrater reliability (IRR) was measured by two raters scoring 32 recorded exam simulations.
Results:
All 48 items of the checklist reached consensus after three rounds of Delphi review (12 participants in Round 1, 11 participants in Rounds 2-3). IRR was substantial with 88.5% agreement, Cohen's kappa coefficient=0.61, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.56, 0.66].
Discussion:
This checklist has potential to be used to assess student readiness to evaluate and train patients in bed mobility tasks for first-time clinical experiences and to serve as a methodological template for future checklist development.
