Validity and Reliability of the Berg Balance Scale in Different Tele-Assessment Methods in Patients With Stroke

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Telehealth Technology
• Neurological Assessment

Background:

• Balance assessment is critical for stroke patient management and treatment efficacy.
• Telehealth adoption necessitates evaluating balance scales for remote assessment.
• The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a widely used clinical tool for balance evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reliability and validity of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) when applied via synchronous and asynchronous teleassessment methods.
• To determine if telehealth-based BBS assessments are comparable to traditional face-to-face evaluations.
• To assess the applicability of BBS for remote balance evaluation in stroke survivors.

Main Methods:

• Two physiotherapists conducted synchronous (real-time online) and asynchronous (recorded video) teleassessments of the BBS.
• All participants underwent repeat assessments after 10 days to evaluate intrarater reliability.
• Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing teleassessment scores with face-to-face BBS and Timed Balance Test (TBT) scores.

Main Results:

• Both synchronous and asynchronous BBS teleassessments demonstrated excellent interrater reliability (ICC > 0.989).
• High intrarater reliability was observed across both methods (ICC range: 0.982–0.997).
• Teleassessment BBS scores showed strong correlations with face-to-face BBS and TBT scores, indicating good concurrent validity.

Conclusions:

• Synchronous and asynchronous teleassessment of the BBS are reliable and valid alternatives to traditional face-to-face assessments for stroke patients.
• Telehealth-based BBS offers a promising approach for remote balance evaluation in stroke rehabilitation.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to enhance generalizability.