Abstract
BackgroundThe Model Disability Survey (MDS) is the current standard recommended by WHO to collect functioning and disability data. Answering calls from countries requesting a version to be implemented as a module that could be integrated into existing surveys and be used for monitoring disability trends and for data disaggregation, WHO developed the brief MDS. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate the metric properties of the disability metrics generated with the Brief MDS and the precision of the Brief MDS in comparison with the full MDS.ResultsThe partial credit model, a unidimensional model for polytomous data from the Rasch family, was applied to evaluate psychometric properties using data from national MDS implementations in Chile (N = 12,265) and in Sri Lanka (N = 3000). The Brief MDS generates valid metrics for measuring disability, from the perspectives of capacity and performance, thereby achieving good levels of measurement precision in comparison with its full counterpart.ConclusionGiven the scarcity of valid functioning and disability modules for household surveys, the Brief MDS represents a milestone in disability measurement. The Brief MDS is currently used by countries to monitor disability trends over time, which is especially important to evaluate the impact of health policies and public health interventions, to disaggregate indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals, and to monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Highlights
The Model Disability Survey (MDS) is the current standard recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) to collect functioning and disability data
Given the scarcity of valid functioning and disability modules for household surveys, the Brief MDS represents a milestone in disability measurement
The Brief MDS can be used by countries who need to monitor disability trends over time, which is especially important to evaluate the impact of health policies and public health interventions on people experiencing different levels of disability, and when disaggregating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and CRPD indicators by disability
Summary
The Model Disability Survey (MDS) is the current standard recommended by WHO to collect functioning and disability data. That disability is a universal human experience; secondly, that disability is the outcome of an interaction between these and contextual factors and not a consequence of a health condition or impairment; and thirdly that disability is a matter of degree, ranging from low to very high levels of severity Responding to these principles, the MDS relies on representative samples of the general population, compares. Richards et al have stressed the importance of going beyond mortality data to capture functioning and disability in order to understand the true impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on people’s lives [4] This evidence is important to inform policies that are relevant to specific populations, such as persons with mental disorders [5, 6] or those experiencing disability of different degrees of severity [7, 8]. MDS data has been used to analytically demonstrate the value of having representative samples of the general population when collecting functioning and disability data, and avoiding bias introduced when screener questions predefine respondents [12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
