Development and Content Validity of the Movement Compensatory Screening (MoCS): A Structured Framework for...

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Biomechanics
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Compensatory movement strategies are common but inconsistently identified in post-stroke patients.
• A structured framework is needed for reliable analysis of mobility and postural control tasks.
• Current methods lack consistency among clinicians for identifying compensatory movements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop the Movement Compensatory Screening (MoCS) tool.
• To examine the content validity of the MoCS for identifying compensatory movement strategies.
• To assess MoCS for use in post-stroke mobility and postural control tasks.

Main Methods:

• The MoCS was developed using the Delphi method and COSMIN guidelines.
• Item generation involved literature review, video analysis, and expert input.
• Content validity was assessed via Delphi rounds with relevance and clarity ratings (Content Validity Coefficient ≥ 0.80).

Main Results:

• The final MoCS includes 65 items across 7 domains (transfers, gait, stairs, balance, etc.).
• Initial and revised items demonstrated high content validity (CVC relevance ≥ 0.89, clarity ≥ 0.86).
• Expert evaluation confirmed adequate content comprehensiveness for identifying compensatory movement strategies.

Conclusions:

• The Movement Compensatory Screening (MoCS) is a valid observational framework.
• MoCS effectively identifies compensatory movement strategies in post-stroke individuals.
• The tool aids in analyzing mobility and postural control tasks.