Reliability and validity of the interRAI Check-Up Self-Reported (CUSR) Assessment.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Increasing global population of older adults necessitates community-based assessment tools.
• Growing need to evaluate functional status and care requirements of the elderly.
• Focus on developing accessible tools for diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reliability, validity, and feasibility of the interRAI Check-Up Self-Reported (CUSR) tool.
• To assess the tool's performance in a low-income urban district in Seoul, South Korea.
• To evaluate the agreement between self-reported and clinician-administered assessments.

Main Methods:

• 158 older adults participated in the study.
• The interRAI CUSR was administered by trained lay interviewers.
• Psychometric testing included interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity.

Main Results:

• The interRAI CUSR demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including high interrater (mean kappa=0.97) and test-retest reliability (mean kappa=0.76).
• Criterion validity was high, showing strong correlations with clinician-administered assessments.
• Participants found the tool easy to use and reflective of their health status, indicating good feasibility.

Conclusions:

• The interRAI CUSR is a reliable and feasible tool for assessing functional status in independent older adults in low-income communities.
• Self-assessment with layperson support can potentially reduce healthcare professional burden.
• Further research is recommended to broaden the tool's applicability across diverse settings and populations.