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PubMed1992

Establishing reliability of the Community Oriented Program Environment Scale on chemically-dependent black females.

Research instruments are often used on samples without determining their reliability for that group of subjects. As a result, information is disseminated that really has no scientifically sound base. Thirty chemically-dependent Black females were chosen as subjects to determine reliability of the Community Oriented Program Environment Scale on this population. They were administered the instrument, and reliability was obtained using the Kuder-Richardson 20 internal consistency test. Findings showed low overall reliability and extremely low subscale reliability on this sample. It was concluded that this instrument would yield uninterpretable data in looking at attrition and treatment environment with this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Reliability of the Assessment of Communicative Effectiveness in Severe Aphasia.

The Assessment of Communicative Effectiveness in Severe Aphasia (ACESA) was developed to measure the communicative effectiveness of people with severe aphasia following a stroke. The reliability was evaluated. Ten patients with severe communication difficulties (particularly limited expression) were assessed and videoed. The videos were rated by three trained raters. Reliability was calculated to demonstrate intrarater and interrater reliability, and test-re-test reliability. Reliability was good but needed to be improved across raters. It was concluded that the ACESA has the potential to be a useful clinical and research tool.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Heritability, reliability of genetic evaluations and response to selection in proportional hazard models.

The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate the heritability, reliability, and selection response for survival traits following a Weibull frailty proportional hazard model; and 2) to examine the relationship between genetic parameters from a Weibull model, a discrete proportional hazard model, and a binary data analysis using a linear model. Both analytical methods and Monte Carlo simulations were used to achieve these aims. Data were simulated using the Weibull frailty model with two different shapes of the Weibull distribution. Breeding values of 100 unrelated sires with 50 to 100 progeny (with different levels of censoring) were generated from a normal distribution and two different sire variances. For analysis of longevity data on the discrete scale, simulated data were transformed to a discrete scale using arbitrary ends of discrete intervals of 400, 800, or 1200 d. For binary data analysis, an individual's longevity was either 0 (when longevity was less than the end of interval) or 1 (when longevity was equal or greater than the end of interval). Three different statistical models were investigated in this study: a Weibull model, a discrete-time model (a proportional hazard model assuming that the survival data are measured on a discrete scale with few classes), and a linear model based upon binary data. An alternative derivation using basic expressions of reliabilities in sire models suggests a simple equation for the heritability on the original scale (effective heritability) that is not dependent on the Weibull parameters. The predictions of reliabilities using the proposed formulae in this study are in very good agreement with reliabilities observed from simulations. In general, the estimates of reliability from either the discrete model or the binary data analysis were close to estimates from the Weibull model for a given number of uncensored records in this simplified case of a balanced design. Although selection response from the binary data analysis depends on the end of interval point, there is a relatively good agreement between selection responses in the Weibull model and the binary data analysis. In general, when the underlying survival data is from a Weibull distribution, it appears that the method of analyzing data does not greatly affect the results in terms of sire ranking or response to selection, at least for the simplified context considered in this study.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P) scales in men with prostate cancer: reliability and validity of the Korean version.

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P) questionnaire is a relevant, worldwide tool used for assessing the health-related quality of life in men with prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to translate the FACT-P into Korean, to assess its reliability and validity, and to test its discriminative ability between the cancer patients and normal controls. The Korean version was developed via the FACT multilingual translation project. The translated questionnaire was self-administered to 70 prostate cancer patients and 70 age-matched controls. In evaluating its psychometric properties for cancer patients, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were used. Validity was estimated by using inter-subscale correlations and discriminant validity between cancer patients and controls. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the individual subscales were 0.7 or greater (range 0.73 to 0.89), except for emotional well-being (0.61). The test-retest reliability showed high correlations (intraclass coefficients ranged from 0.72 to 0.93). Inter-subscale correlations demonstrated each subscale was unrelated, but moderate correlation was observed between social/family well-being and functional well-being subscales (r=0.56). The FACT-P scale could discriminate reliably between the cancer patients and controls in most subscales. In conclusion, the Korean version of the FACT-P is a reliable and valid questionnaire in patients with prostate cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Reliability of the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test with learning-disabled children.

The Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test (SCPNT) provides an objective assessment of nystagmus. Although depressed nystagmus duration as measured by the SCPNT is considered a major sign of vestibular dysfunction in learning-disabled children, the reliability of the SCPNT with this population has not been established. To study reliability of nystagmus duration in this population, 89 learning-disabled children were evaluated with the SCPNT. The results demonstrated that this sample had significantly depressed scores and more variability in scores than normal children. Intrascorer and test-retest reliabilities, although statistically significant, were lower than those established with normal children. A test-retest study of the reliability of placing a child in a deviant duration range over time significantly reduced reliability estimates. Clinicians using nystagmus duration scores in the evaluation of vestibular dysfunction in learning-disabled children should be sensitive to the variation in this measure in this population.

California↗
PubMed1993

American Occupational Therapy Association Accreditation Committee Reliability Study.

The purpose of the study was to augment the previous CAHEA and AOTA Commission on Education validity and reliability studies with a reliability study focused on the accrediting activity processes within AOTA in conjunction with CAHEA. The three objectives of the study were to establish (1) the internal consistency of AC, RAE, and AMA raters; (2) interrater reliability among AC, RAE, and AMA raters; and (3) accuracy of AC, RAE, and AMA raters. Overall, the RAE raters were most internally consistent in their ratings (.94), followed by the AC (.93), and the AMA (.88). Because many of the RAE raters have participated recently in the new AOTA accreditation orientation workshop, it is not unusual that their ratings would have the least variability and be so closely matched to those of the AC raters. On the basis of these results, the raters in this study (44.5% of the total population of raters) could be expected to be highly consistent as they evaluate Essentials that are usually in compliance, many times out of compliance, and those in-between. Interrater reliability among all raters for all five Essentials and all four decision points was established at .93 with percent agreement with absolute concordance. Interrater reliability among AC and RAE raters only achieved .95 percent agreement. As more data were available (i.e., at Decision 3 and Decision 4), rater concordance increased. By Decision 4, the most critical decision point because these data constitute the Report of On-Site Evaluation (ROSE), percent agreement ranged from .83 to .96 for all three rating groups, and .86 to 1.00 for the AC and RAE raters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Accreditation↗
PubMed1993

Reliability of the worker role interview.

The Worker Role Interview is a semistructured interview designed to be used as the psychosocial-environmental component of the initial rehabilitation assessment for the injured worker. Interrater reliability of the Worker Role Interview was computed for three raters for a sample of 30 adult subjects receiving rehabilitation due to an upper extremity injury. Reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation approach. The coefficients estimating interrater reliability for six content areas ranged from .46 to .92 with a total value of .81. Three out of six content areas received ratings well below the accepted standard of .80, suggesting further need for instrument refinement in select areas. Test-retest reliability was computed for one rater for a sample of 20 subjects. The intraclass coefficient values ranged from .86 to .94 with a total value of .95 indicating high test-retest reliability.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability of potential clinical measures of muscle tone in the elbows of patients after stroke.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the reliability of joint resting position (EJP), resistance to passive movement (ERM), and the angle of appearance of the resistance (EAR) as measures of muscle hypertonus of elbow flexors in patients after stroke. Previously, similar measures had been found reliable when applied to measuring shoulder and wrist hypertonus in patients after stroke. METHOD: Forty-five subjects with stroke were randomly selected from occupational therapy admissions at two rehabilitation centers. Tone of elbow flexors was measured twice at the same sitting by two examiners. EJP and EAR were measured with a goniometer, and ERM was measured with a resistance rating scale. Correlations were calculated between first and second measurements by center and by high tone and poor upper extremity function subgroups (with correction for multiple correlations) to determine reliability. RESULTS: Each of the three measures was highly reliable as demonstrated by a high correlation in at least one of the subgroups (Center 1: EJP, r = .964 for high tone subgroup; ERM, r = .789, EAR, r = .902, both in poor upper extremity function subgroup; and Center 2: EJP, r = .892, ERM, r = .938, both in poor upper extremity function subgroup; EAR, r = .666 for all subjects; all p values < .05). Correlations were especially high when data for subjects with high upper extremity function were eliminated. CONCLUSION: Reliability of these three methods of measuring upper extremity muscle tone enhances their usefulness as well as therapists' confidence in their judicial application.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the Fatigue Impact Scale for persons with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The test-retest reliability and the convergent validity of the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) were evaluated using secondary data from 54 persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: This reliability and validity study used FIS data from before and after two control periods to evaluate test-retest reliability. Convergent validity of the FIS with the Fatigue Severity Scale and with subscales of the SF-36 Health Survey was evaluated using data collected before the first control period. RESULTS: No significant differences between before and after FIS measurements and intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from .68 to .85 indicate that the FIS has good test-retest reliability except for the physical subscale. The expected moderate correlations between the FIS and several subscales of the SF-36 support its convergent validity. In contrast, the unexpected low correlation between the FIS and Fatigue Severity Scale does not support convergent validity. CONCLUSION: The FIS has adequate reliability and validity and is recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of fatigue management interventions such as energy conservation education for persons with MS.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interrater and test-retest reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for Chinese preschool children.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to check on the reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC) in preparation for its standardization in Hong Kong. Interrater and test-retest reliability are reported for Age Band One, designed for use with children ages four to six. METHOD: Interrater reliability of the Movement ABC was estimated using two trained observers with 79 children. Test-retest reliability was assessed using 75 children who were tested twice by the same tester over a 2- to 3-week interval. RESULTS. Agreement between testers was good with a mean intraclass correlation of 0.96 across items. A value of 0.77 was obtained for test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION: These results support the use of this component of the Movement ABC in Hong Kong.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability of ankle goniometric measurements: a literature review.

This article reviews the existing range-of-motion measurement literature related to ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion to determine whether the reliability of ankle range-of-motion measurements can be defined, how the characteristics of the study population or clinician affect reliability, and the level of responsiveness for these measures. A MEDLINE search was performed through February 2004, and 11 articles met the inclusion criteria established for this review. Ample evidence was found for intrarater reliability for ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion range of motion. Although some evidence for interrater reliability of dorsiflexion was found, little evidence for interrater reliability of plantarflexion range of motion was uncovered. On the basis of the current literature, the responsiveness of ankle joint range-of-motion measurements is uncertain and requires further studies using patient populations.

Ankle Joint↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability of clinical tests of foot and ankle characteristics in older people.

Lower-extremity problems are common in older people; however, the reliability of clinical tools used to assess foot and ankle characteristics has not been rigorously evaluated. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of a battery of simple clinical tests of foot and ankle characteristics (tactile sensitivity of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, navicular height, foot length and width, hallux valgus severity, an overall foot problem score, ankle flexibility, ankle dorsiflexion strength, and foot pain) in 31 individuals (13 men and 18 women) aged 76 to 87 years recruited from the community. Three examiners performed the tests on two occasions approximately 2 weeks apart. Intraclass correlation coefficients and coefficients of variation were calculated for continuously scored tests, and the kappa statistic (kappa) was used to determine the reliability of hallux valgus severity grading. All of the continuously scored tests had acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.64 to 0.98; coefficients of variation of 0.6% to 15.0%), as did hallux valgus severity grading (kappa = 0.77; absolute percentage agreement, 84%). These simple clinical tests can now be used with confidence in clinical and research settings to provide reliable and functionally important information regarding foot and ankle characteristics in older people.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Intertester reliability of sonography in patellar tendinopathy.

OBJECTIVE: Intertester reliability is imperative during the sonographic assessment of patellar tendinopathy because hypoechoic areas can change over time, and repeated examination may involve multiple examiners. Given that, to our knowledge, it has not been reported in the literature, the objective of this study was to investigate the intertester reliability of sonography for the detection and measurement of hypoechoic areas associated with patellar tendinopathy. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 8 patients with clinically diagnosed patellar tendinopathy and 4 patients with bilateral asymptomatic patellar tendons. Two equally experienced musculoskeletal radiologists imaged both patellar tendons from each patient (n = 24). All 24 tendons were assessed on the same day with the use of identical sonography machines. RESULTS: The radiologists had 100% chance-corrected agreement for detecting 12 normal (hypoechoic free) and 12 abnormal (hypoechoic) tendons. All measurement data were normally distributed (P > .05), and a range of hypoechoic area sizes was evident. No statistically significant differences were found for the measurements of hypoechoic area, axial plane height and width, and sagittal plane height (P > .05). In addition, these measurements were equally highly correlated (Pearson r > 0.87; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The results reported in this study suggest that the intertester reliability of sonography for the assessment of patellar tendinopathy is high. Although these results are encouraging, a small sample was analyzed, and this increases the probability of type II measurement error. Larger studies are therefore required to confirm these findings. High intertester reliability indicates that multiple experienced radiologists can reliably assess the same tendon and provides researchers with a necessary foundation for furthering research in tendon rehabilitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Reliable computer systems.

In this article, we looked at some decisions that apply to the design of reliable computer systems. We began with a discussion of several terms such as testability, then described some systems that call for highly reliable hardware and software. The article concluded with a discussion of methods that can be used to achieve higher reliability in computer systems. Reliability and fault tolerance in computers probably will continue to grow in importance. As more and more systems are computerized, people will want assurances about the reliability of these systems, and their ability to work properly even when sub-systems fail.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1999

Test-retest reliability of the ulnar F-wave minimum latency in normal adults.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure the test-retest reliability of the ulnar F-wave minimum latency (Fmin) in normal adults. A reliable Fmin measure allows clinicians to ascribe changes in latency to true changes in a subject and not merely random daily variation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fmin in the Abductor Digiti Minimi muscle was measured bilaterally in 49 healthy adults (n = 98) with a three day separation between tests. RESULTS: The Fmin reliability estimate as measured by intraclass correlation coefficient (3,1) was 0.59 with a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 1.3 msec. A paired t-test showed no significant difference (t = 1.7, df = 97, p > 0.05) between the mean scores from the two testing sessions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We found moderate reliability and relatively low precision (high SEM) in Fmin scores taken from healthy individuals on two separate days. Strict adherence to our protocol and an acceptable overall precision of measurements (as measured by mean scores) suggest the contributions of rater and instrument error were low in our study. We conclude that 1) valid clinical interpretation of minimum F-wave latency findings is questionable because the Fmin measurement appears to have only moderate reliability, and 2) the lability of the phenomenon itself is the most likely contributor to variability in the Fmin latencies. Further research is warranted before electrophysiologists may be justified in attributing small changes in the Fmin to actual changes in the subject.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1999

Sonographic surveillance of abdominal aortic aneurysms: what is the smallest change in measured diameter that reliably reflects aneurysm growth?

OBJECTIVE: The decision to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm may be based on an apparent increase in aneurysm diameter seen in successive sonographic examinations. However, true aneurysm growth can be diagnosed only if the measured increase in aneurysm diameter exceeds the variability inherent in the measurement. This study uses analysis of variance to determine the smallest change between 2 successive, independent sonographic measurements of aneurysm diameter that reliably indicates aneurysm growth. METHODS: Pairs of independent observers examined 63 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Each observer obtained a sonographic measurement of the anteroposterior aneurysm diameter in the transaxial and longitudinal scan planes, and the transverse aneurysm diameter in the transaxial scan plane. Analysis of variance yielded the total variance associated with each type of measurement as well as the contributions made by variance among aneurysms, variance between observers and residual variance. These components were used to estimate interobserver standard error of measurement, interobserver reliability and the smallest measurement change needed to diagnose true aneurysm growth. RESULTS: Differences among aneurysms made the largest contribution to overall variance. Interobserver reliability was excellent, ranging from 0.89 to 0.94 (with perfect reliability being 1.00). The smallest difference between 2 successive, independent anteroposterior diameter measurements that indicated aneurysm growth at the 95% confidence level was 0.78 cm in the transaxial scan plane and 0.92 cm in the longitudinal scan plane. The smallest difference between 2 successive, independent transverse diameter measurements that indicated aneurysm growth at the same confidence level was 1.05 cm. CONCLUSION: Despite high interobserver reliability, only changes in measured aneurysm diameter greater than or equal to 0.78 cm indicate aneurysm growth at the 95% confidence level. Smaller changes in measured diameter may not be real, but due to variability in measurement.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality of life in patients with osteoporosis fractures: cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Osteoporosis Assessment Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to translate into Brazilian-Portuguese the Osteoporosis Assessment Questionnaire (OPAQ), and to evaluate its reliability and validity. METHODS: The OPAQ was translated into Brazilian-Portuguese. This version was then back-translated into an English version which was compared to the original version, and a second Brazilian-Portuguese version was generated. This draft version of the Brazilian-Portuguese OPAQ was administered to 30 patients with lumbar osteoporosis and no fractures. The non-applicable questions were modified and, after being administered again, this Brazilian-Portuguese version of the OPAQ was accepted as definitive. Its reliability was tested in 30 osteoporotic out-patients, and was administered three times to the patients to check the intra/interobserver reliability. The patients were also clinically evaluated using HAQ, FIQ and a numerical rating scale for pain. For all patients the number of fractures and the bone mineral density at the spine were determined. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 69 years (54 to 89 years) and the mean number of fractures was 2.72. Twenty-one patients (70%) had had more than one vertebral fracture. All of the questionnaire components, except for mood (c16), presented statistically significant coefficients for intra/interobserver reliability. The highest score was observed for "the fear of falling" (6.70). Correlations between the OPAQ components and the number of fractures, bone density and Z-score were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This Brazilian-Portuguese version of the OPAQ is a reliable and valid instrument. Other aspects than bone mineral density and the number of fractures have an important influence on the quality of life in patients with osteoporosis and fractures.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Reliability of isokinetic ankle dorsiflexor strength measurements in healthy young men and women.

The purposes of this study were: (i) to determine the test-retest reliability of isokinetic ankle dorsiflexor strength measurements in young healthy adults using the Biodex dynamometer, and (ii) to examine several statistical measures for the interpretation of reliability. Thirty men and women (mean age 23 +/- 3 years) performed three maximal concentric contractions at 30 degrees/s, 60 degrees/s, 90 degrees/s, 120 degrees/s and 150 degrees/s. Reliability of peak torque, work and torque at a specific time were assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2,1), Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (r), standard error of the measurement (SEM), method error (ME) and coefficient of variation (CV), and by plotting the differences between observations against their means. Isokinetic tests of ankle dorsiflexor strength in healthy young adults using the Biodex dynamometer were highly reliable (ICC 0.61-0.93). It is recommended that test-retest reliability analyses include the ICC and assessments of measurement errors (SEM, ME or CV), as well as graphs to indicate any systematic variations in the data.

Adult↗