Interrater and intrarater reliability of the wheelchair skills test version 4.2 for power wheelchair users

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the interrater and intrarater reliability of the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) Version 4.2 for powered wheelchairs operated by adult users.Materials and methods: Cohort study with a convenience sample of occupational therapists (n = 10). For the main outcome measure, participants viewed and scored eight videos of adult power wheelchair users completing the 30 skills of the WST Version 4.2 on two occasions, a minimum of two weeks apart. Using these scores, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients to estimate interrater and intrarater reliability.Results: The interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.940 (95%CI 0.862–0.985). Intrarater reliability intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.923 to 0.998.Conclusions: The WST Version 4.2 has excellent interrater and intrarater reliability and is a reliable tool for use in clinical and research practice to evaluate a power wheelchair user’s skill capacity.Implications for RehabilitationThe Wheelchair Skills Test for Powered Wheelchair Users (WST-P 4.2) is a useful addition to the clinical tools available for clinicians who assess and train for powered wheelchair use.The WST-P 4.2 has excellent reliability and potential for clinical use as a pre-post measure of powered wheelchair skills.Clinicians using the WST-P 4.2 should attempt to maintain consistent scoring procedures, particularly for those skills that may require subjective assessment of skill safety.