Use In Busy Clinical Settings Research Articles

Comparison of standard goal attainment scaling (GAS) and the GAS-light method for evaluation of goal attainment during neurorehabilitation of the upper limb

Background: Goal attainment scaling (GAS) is now widely used as a person-centered measure of outcome from rehabilitation and has demonstrated validity in diverse populations with sensitivity to change. However, as originally described, it is time-consuming for use in busy clinical settings. The “GAS-light” is a simplified version designed for application in routine clinical practice. Although increasingly taken up by clinicians, published evidence of the validity of GAS-light method is currently lacking. Objective: To evaluate the validity and sensitivity of the GAS-light rating method as a measure of goal attainment in clinical neurorehabilitation practice. To examine its agreement with the standard GAS rating (as originally described by the developers) as the gold standard and to assess its clinical utility and acceptability. Methods design: A direct, head-to-head comparison of the 2 GAS rating methods in a cohort of adults undergoing upper limb motor rehabilitation programs across a range of rehabilitation settings, including hospital, community outpatient, and spasticity clinic services. Study population: 60 patients (n=54 poststroke) set a total of 136 goals (range 1–4 per patient). In this comparative study, patients acted as their own controls. Measures: The 2 rating methods were applied independently and in parallel from a single goal-setting discussion. Goal attainment was measured on the original 5-point GAS using a predetermined follow-up guide and the GAS-light with its 6-point verbal rating scale. The evaluation included concurrent validity (intraclass correlation coefficients and agreement between the 2 ratings) and sensitivity to change using the standardized response mean (SRM). Thirteen clinicians and 52 participants completed surveys of clinical utility and patient acceptance, respectively. Results: Individual absolute agreement of 2-way mixed-effects intraclass correlation between the tools indicated good agreement (ICC(A,1)=0.88, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.93), and small systematic bias (–1.72 (95% CI: −3.04, −0.41). Both tools measured similar levels of change over time (GAS SRM=1.79; GAS-light SRM=1.62). Clinicians perceived GAS-light had stronger clinical utility, being quicker and easier to administer, score, and understand. Patients perceived GAS-light as acceptable, comfortable, worthwhile, and helpful. Conclusions: GAS-light is reliable and sensitive to change, with better clinical utility than the standard GAS. Either tool may be used to assess goal attainment in clinical upper limb neurorehabilitation.

Lifespan normative data (18-89 years) for Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Set I.

Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) Set I is a validated and brief test of fluid intelligence, ideal for use in busy clinical settings. However, there is a dearth of normative data allowing an accurate interpretation of APM scores. To address this, we present normative data from across the adult lifespan (18-89 years) for the APM Set I. Data are presented in five age cohorts (total N= 352), including two older adult cohorts (65-79 years and 80-89 years), which allows age-standardized assessment. We also present data from a validated measure of premorbid intellectual ability, which was absent from previous standardizations of longer forms of the APM. In line with previous findings, a striking age-related decline was noted, beginning relatively early in adulthood and most marked amongst lower-scoring individuals. Older adults did not demonstrate difficulty with specific test items or make an increased proportion of specific errors. Sex was not a significant predictor of performance. The data set is of particular use in the neuropsychological assessment of older adults, given the known susceptibility of fluid intelligence to both the effects of normal ageing and acquired brain injury in older age. The results are discussed in light of theories of neurological ageing.

Initial evaluation of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire - 2.

Greater acceptance of chronic pain is associated with lesser levels of pain-related distress and disability and better overall functioning. Pain acceptance is most often assessed using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), which includes both an eight-item short form (CPAQ-8) and a twenty item parent measure (CPAQ-20). This study derived a two-item CPAQ for use in busy clinical settings and for repeated measurement during treatment, the CPAQ-2. An Item Response Theory (IRT) approach was used to identify the strongest items from the CPAQ-20, one from each of its two subscales. Next, regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the utility of the CPAQ-2 by examining variance accounted for in the CPAQ-8, CPAQ-20, and in measures of depression, pain-related fear, physical disability, and psychosocial disability. Four clinical databases were combined (N=1,776) for the analyses. Items 9 and 14 were identified as the strongest CPAQ-20 items in the IRT analyses. The sum score of these two items accounted for over 60% of the variance in the CPAQ-8 and CPAQ-20. Furthermore, this score accounted for significant variance in measures of depression, pain-related fear, physical disability, and psychosocial disability after controlling for data collection method (i.e. in clinic or online), participant age, education, pain duration and usual pain. Finally, the amount of variance accounted for by the CPAQ-2 was comparable to that accounted for by both the CPAQ-8 and CPAQ-20. These results provide initial support for the CPAQ-2 and suggest that it is well-suited as a brief assessment of chronic pain acceptance. SIGNIFICANCE: The most frequently used measure of pain acceptance is the CPAQ, which includes both an eight-item short form, the CPAQ-8, and a longer twenty item parent measure, the CPAQ-20. The present study sought to derive a two-item measure of the CPAQ for use in busy clinical settings and for repeated measurement during treatment, the CPAQ-2. An IRT approach was used to identify the strongest items from the CPAQ-20, one from each of its two subscales in a large sample of 1,776 individuals with chronic pain. The two item measure accounted for significant variance in measures of depression, pain-related fear, physical disability, and psychosocial disability. The brief measure will be useful in assessing pain acceptance in busy clinical setting and longitudinal designs.

Psychometric testing of the Fall Risks for Older People in the Community screening tool (FROP-Com screen) for community-dwelling people with stroke

ObjectiveThe Falls Risk for Older People in the Community assessment (FROP-Com) was originally developed using 13 risk factors to identify the fall risks of community-dwelling older people. To suit the practical use in busy clinical settings, a brief version adopting 3 most fall predictive risk factors from the original FROP-Com, including the number of falls in the past 12 months, assistance required to perform domestic activities of daily living and observation of balance, was developed for screening purpose (FROP-Com screen). The objectives of this study were to investigate the inter-rater and test-retest reliability, concurrent and convergent validity, and minimum detectable change of the FROP-Com screen in community-dwelling people with stroke.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling people with stroke (n = 48) were recruited from a local self-help group, and community-dwelling older people (n = 40) were recruited as control subjects.ResultsThe FROP-Com screen exhibited moderate inter-rater (Intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]2,1 = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65–0.87) and test-retest reliability (ICC3,1 = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.46–0.83) and weak associations with two balance measures, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (rho = -0.38, p = 0.008) and the Timed “Up & Go” (TUG) test (rho = 0.35, p = 0.016). The screen also exhibited a moderate association with the Chinese version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-C) (ABC-C; rho = -0.65, p<0.001), a measure of subjective balance confidence.ConclusionsThe FROP-Com screen is a reliable clinical tool with convergent validity paralleled with subjective balance confidence measure that can be used in fall risk screening of community-dwelling people with stroke. However, one individual item, the observation of balance, will require additional refinement to improve the potential measurement error.

The value of hope: development and validation of a contextual measure of hope among people living with HIV in urban Tanzania a mixed methods exploratory sequential study

BackgroundHope or hopefulness enhances coping and improves quality of life in persons with chronic or incurable illnesses. Lack of hope is associated with depression and anxiety, which impact negatively on quality of life. In Tanzania, where HIV prevalence is high, the rates of depression and anxiety are over four times higher among people living with HIV (PLH) compared to persons not infected and contribute annual mortality among PLH. Tanzania has a shortage of human resources for mental health, limiting access to mental health care. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions can complement existing services and improve access to quality mental health services in the midst of human resource shortages. Facilitating hope can be a critical element of non-pharmacological interventions which are underutilized, partly due to limited awareness and lack of hope measures, adapted to accommodate cultural context and perspectives of PLH. To address this gap, we developed and validated a local hope measure among PLH in Tanzania.MethodsTwo-phased mixed methods exploratory sequential study among PLH. Phase I was Hope-related items identification using deductive, inductive approaches and piloting. Phase II was an evaluation of psychometric properties at baseline and 24 months. Classical test theory, exploratory, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used.ResultsAmong 722 PLH, 59% were women, mean age was 39.3 years, and majority had primary school level of education. A total of 40 hope items were reduced to 10 in a three-factor solution, explaining 69% of variance at baseline, and 93% at follow-up. Internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was 0.869 at baseline and 0.958 at follow-up. The three-factor solution depicted: positive affect; cognition of effectiveness of HIV care; and goals/plans/ future optimism. Test-retest reliability was good (r = 0.797) and a number of indices were positive for CFA model fit, including Comparative Fit Index of 0.984.ConclusionThe developed local hope scale had good internal reliability, validity, and its dimensionality was confirmed against expectations. The fewer items for hope assessment argue well for its use in busy clinical settings to improve HIV care in Tanzania. Hope in this setting could be more than cognitive goal thinking, pathway and motivation warranting more research.Trial registrationThe intervention was registered in USA ClinicalTrials.gov on September 26, 2012, Registration number: NCT01693458.

The Child Outcome Rating Scale: validating a four-item measure of psychosocial functioning in community and clinic samples of children aged 10-15.

Psychosocial functioning is considered an important and valued outcome in relation to young people's mental health as a construct distinct from psychiatric symptomology, especially in the light of an increasing focus on transdiagnostic approaches. Yet, the level of psychosocial functioning is rarely directly asked of young people themselves, despite the widespread recognition that the young person's perspective is valuable andis often at odds with those of other reporters, such as parents or professionals. One possible reason for this is that the field lacks a clear agreed tool to capture this information in a non-burdensome way. To begin to address this gap, this paper describes psychometric analysis of the Child Outcome Rating Scale (CORS), a brief and highly accessible self-report measure of young people's psychosocial functioning already used extensively by mental health professionals around the world but with only limited data on psychometric robustness. Using large community (n = 7822) and clinic (n = 2604) samples, we explore the factor structure, construct validity, internal consistency, differential item functioning, and sensitivity of the CORS. We found that the CORS stands up to psychometric scrutiny, having found satisfactory levels of reliability, validity, and sensitivity in this sample. We also found that the CORS is suitable for use with young people as old as 15years old. That the CORS has been found to be psychometrically robust while being highly feasible (brief, simple, easy to administer) for use in busy clinical settings, combined with the fact that the CORS has already been widely adopted by clinicians and young people, suggests CORS may be an important tool for international use.

Early improvement in HAMD-17 and HAMD-7 scores predict response and remission in depressed patients treated with fluoxetine or electroconvulsive therapy

BackgroundCompared to the 17-Item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17), the 7-Item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-7) would be more practical for use in busy clinical settings. Herein, we aim to evaluate (1) whether the HAMD-7 is a reliable and valid measure that is sensitive to changes in depressive symptoms, and (2) whether early improvement of depressive symptoms, as measured by the HAMD-7, is capable of predicting response and remission in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) during acute treatment with fluoxetine or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). MethodsThis is a post-hoc analysis of two clinical trials in MDD. Internal consistency, validity, and sensitivity-to-change of the HAMD-17 and HAMD-7 were compared during acute treatment and at 3-month follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to evaluate the discriminative capacity of the HAMD-17 and HAMD-7. ResultsThe HAMD-7 is a reliable and valid measure that is sensitive to changes in depressive symptoms. Early improvement, as measured by either the HAMD-17 or HAMD-7, was capable of predicting response and remission to acute treatment with fluoxetine or ECT with good discriminative capacity. LimitationsThis is a post-hoc analysis of two open-label clinical trials with limited sample sizes. All patients were Taiwanese, which limits the generalizability of our results. ConclusionsHAMD-7 is a clinically useful measure that is capable of detecting early improvement of depressive symptoms. The HAMD-7 may have the potential to inform clinical assessment as part of measurement-based care.

Early Symptom Measurement of Post-Stroke Depression: Development and validation of a new short version.

The aim of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of the Early Symptom Measurement of Post-Stroke Depression-Short Form (ESMPSD-SF). The ESMPSD is a specific measurement tool designed to detect early depressive symptoms in acute stroke patients, but it is too long for use in busy clinical settings. A psychometric study was conducted. Five hundred and twenty-one post-stroke patients completed two questionnaires, the demographic and the ESMPSD questionnaire, over a period of 10months, from July 2016-April 2017. The item reduction process was used to reduce the number of items in the ESMPSD questionnaire and consisted of item analysis, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analysis. The item reduction process resulted in a 12-item short version questionnaire with evidence of acceptable construct validity and internal reliability. Four factors explaining high total variance were extracted: "low," "guilt," "emotional," and "wakefulness". Estimates of all confirmatory model fit indices met the standard criteria. All standardized factor loading estimates of the 12 items met the standard criteria and the variances explained by the items were acceptable. Moreover, internal reliability estimates of the 12-item questionnaire were acceptable, and the corrected item-total correlation and item-subscale correlation also demonstrated evidence of acceptable reliability of the short form questionnaire. The ESMPSD-SF demonstrates evidence of acceptable reliability and validity to screen early depressive symptoms in acute stroke patients in busy clinical settings.

Development and Validation of a Short Version of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport After Injury (ACL-RSI) Scale.

Background:The Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport After Injury (ACL-RSI) scale was developed to measure an athlete’s psychological readiness to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction surgery. The scale is being used with increasing frequency in both research and clinical settings.Purpose:To generate and validate a short version of the ACL-RSI scale.Study Design:Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.Methods:The ACL-RSI scale was administered to 535 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction surgery. Reliability (Cronbach alpha) was determined and factor analysis of the full scale was undertaken along with a process of item selection and elimination. A second group of 250 patients participated in a predictive validation analysis. This group completed the ACL-RSI scale at 6 months and reported return-to-sport outcomes 12 months following ACL reconstruction surgery. The predictive validity of both scales (full and short versions) was assessed by use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve statistics.Results:The scale was found to have high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha, 0.96), which suggested that item redundancy was present. After an item selection process, the scale was reduced to a 6-item format. Cronbach alpha for the short version was 0.92, and factor analysis confirmed the presence of 1 factor accounting for 71% of the total variance. Scores for the short version were significantly different between patients who had and those who had not returned to sport. Six-month ACL-RSI scores for both the full and short versions had fair to good predictive ability for 12-month return-to-sport outcomes (full version: area under ROC curve, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.7-0.8]; short version: area under ROC curve, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.7-0.8]).Conclusion:A 6-item short version of the ACL-RSI scale was developed from a large cohort of patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. The short version appears to be as robust as the full version for discriminating between and predicting return-to-sport outcomes. The short version of the ACL-RSI may be of use in busy clinical settings to help identify athletes who may find return to sport challenging.

The Feasibility of Sophisticated Multicriteria Support for Clinical Decisions.

Multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are well-suited to serve as the foundation for clinical decision support systems. To do so, however, they need to be appropriate for use in busy clinical settings. We compared decision-making processes and outcomes of patient-level analyses done with a range of multicriteria methods that vary in ease of use and intensity of decision support, 2 factors that could affect their ease of implementation into practice. We conducted a series of Internet surveys to compare the effects of 5 multicriteria methods that differ in user interface and required user input format on decisions regarding selection of a preferred method for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study sample consisted of members of an online Internet panel maintained by Fluidsurveys, an Internet survey company. Study outcomes were changes in preferred option, decision confidence, preparation for decision making, the Values Clarification and Decisional Uncertainty subscales of the Decisional Conflict Scale, and method ease of use. The frequency of changes in the preferred option ranged from 9% to 38%, P < 0.001, and rose progressively as the level of decision support provided by the MCDM method increased. The proportion of respondents who rated the method as easy ranged from 57% to 79% and differed significantly among MCDM methods, P = 0.003, but was not consistently related to intensity of decision support or ease of use. Decision support based on MCDM methods is not necessarily limited by decreases in ease of use. This result suggests that it is possible to develop decision support tools using sophisticated multicriteria techniques suitable for use in routine clinical care settings.

Proposing the short Neurological Evaluation Scale.

The time required in completing the 26 items of neurological examinations in the standard Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) may limit its utility in pragmatic clinical situations. We propose the Short Neurological Evaluation Scale (S-NES) for use in busy clinical settings, and in research. Using confirmatory factor analyses, we identified 12 items of neurological examination showing significant overlap with previously reported theoretical and empirical categories of neurological soft signs (NSS) in schizophrenia. This provided justification for the development of a shorter version of the NES based on the empirically identified NSS. In the present study, we relied on existing data to present an initial validation of the S-NES against the referent standard 26-item NES. We determined sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios. Posterior-test probability was estimated using a Bayesian nomogram plot. Using data derived from 84 unmedicated or minimally treated patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 12 empirically determined items of neurological examinations showed high agreement with the 26 items in the standard NES battery (sensitivity=96.3%, specificity=100%, and posterior-test probability=100%). Within limitations of validity estimates derived from existing data, the present results suggest that the design of the S-NES based on empirically identified 12 items of neurological examination is a logical step. If successful, the S-NES will be useful for rapid screening of NSS in busy clinical settings, and also in research.

Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire-6 facilitates health-related quality of life assessment in peripheral arterial disease

Most commonly used outcome measures in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) provide scarce information about achieved patient benefit. Therefore, patient-reported outcome measures have become increasingly important as complementary outcome measures. The abundance of items in most health-related quality of life instruments makes everyday clinical use difficult. This study aimed to develop a short version of the 25-item Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire (VascuQoL-25), a PAD-specific health-related quality of life instrument. The study recruited 129 individuals with intermittent claudication and 71 with critical limb ischemia from two university hospitals. Participants were a mean age of 70 ± 9 years, and 57% were men. All patients completed the original VascuQoL when evaluated for treatment, and 127 also completed the questionnaire 6 months after a vascular procedure. The VascuQoL-25 was reduced based on cognitive interviews and psychometric testing. The short instrument, the VascuQoL-6, was tested using item-response theory, exploring structure, precision, item fit, and targeting. A subgroup of 21 individuals with intermittent claudication was also tested correlating the results of VascuQoL-6 to the actual walking capacity, as measured using global positioning system technology. On the basis of structured psychometric testing, the six most informative items were selected (VascuQoL-6) and tested vs the original VascuQoL-25. The correlation between VascuQoL-25 and VascuQoL-6 was r = 0.88 before intervention, r = 0.96 after intervention, and the difference was r = 0.91 (P < .001). The Cronbach α for the VascuQoL-6 was .85 before and .94 after intervention. Cognitive interviews indicated that the responders considered all six items to be relevant and comprehensible. Rasch analysis was used to reduce response options from seven (VascuQoL-25) to four (VascuQoL-6). VascuQol-6 was shown to have high precision and discriminative properties. Item fit was excellent, with both "infit" and "outfit" between 0.7 and 1.3 for all six items. The standardized response mean after intervention was 1.15, indicating good responsiveness to clinical change. VascuQoL-6 results correlated strongly (r = 0.72; P < .001) with the actual measured walking ability (n = 21). VascuQoL-6 is a valid and responsive instrument for the assessment of health-related quality of life in PAD. The main advantage is the compact format that offers a possibility for routine use in busy clinical settings.

The Social and Occupational Functioning Scale for Epilepsy (SOFSE): A brief measure of functional status in a Taiwanese sample with epilepsy

To develop and validate a scale of social functioning for people with epilepsy (PWE)-the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale for Epilepsy (SOFSE). According to the literature review and opinions from a panel of experts, PWE, and caregivers, a total of 31 questions were compiled. Questionnaires were analyzed from 172 adults with epilepsy. The final scale had 30 items in six dimensions. The results showed that internal consistency coefficients and test-retest reliabilities for each dimension ranged from 0.70 to 0.84 and 0.72 to 0.89, respectively. Retest reliability for the total SOFSE score was 0.92. Seven factors were extracted through principal factor analysis. Moreover, criterion-related validity was demonstrated by the significant correlations between the SOFSE and the following measures: the Mini Mental Status Examination (r = 0.60, p < 0.001), the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (r = 0.53, p < 0.001), and the Global Severity Index of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (r = -0.66, p < 0.001). Finally, the differences in functional competence among patients also supported the discriminant validity of the inventory. The SOFSE is a brief, psychometrically sound, and easy-to-administer measure of social functioning for use in busy clinical settings.

Development and validation of a short form of the Chinese version of the State Anxiety Scale for Children

Background There is a lack of a simplified instrument for use in busy clinical settings to measure and differentiate anxiety levels of children. Objectives To develop a short form of the Chinese version of the State Anxiety Scale for Children (CSAS-C) and test psychometric properties of the new form. Design The study was divided into two phases with phase one aimed at developing a short form of the CSAS-C, while phase two aimed at testing psychometric properties of the new form. A test–retest, within-subjects design was employed. Children (7–12 years of age) admitted for surgery in a day surgery unit during two consecutive years’ summer holiday were invited to participate in the study. In phase one, selected participants ( N = 1 1 2 ) were asked to respond to the CSAS-C. In phase two, selected participants ( N = 8 2 ) were asked to respond to the short form of the CSAS-C. Results Using exploratory factor analysis, a subset of 10 items, which was highly correlated with scores obtained from the full form ( r = 0.9 2 ) and, which had acceptable internal consistency ( r = 0.8 3 ) was developed. The psychometric properties of this short form have been empirically tested, showing adequate internal consistency reliability, good concurrent validity, and excellent construct validity. Conclusion This study addresses a gap in the literature by developing a 10-item short form of the CSAS-C. Results indicate that this short form is an appropriate and objective assessment tool for measuring anxiety levels of Chinese children in a busy clinical setting where time constraints make unfeasible the use of the full form.

The Social Occupational Functioning Scale (SOFS): A brief measure of functional status in persons with schizophrenia

The social functioning of persons with schizophrenia contributes to their overall functional outcome and ability to live in the community. Enhancing the level of social functioning is an important treatment goal. The present study describes the development of the Social Occupational Functioning Scale (SOFS), a brief, yet comprehensive, easy to administer measure of social functioning for use in busy clinical settings. It has adequate psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure comprising of adaptive living skills, social appropriateness and interpersonal skills, accounting for 59% of the variance in total SOFS score.

Transdermal analgesia with local anesthetics in children: review, update and future directions

Topical local anesthetics in one form or another have been used for the past 20 years to alleviate the skin pain associated with needle puncture and venous cannulation in children. Although the application of topical anesthetic creams is painless compared with traditional local anesthetic infiltration of the skin and subcutaneous tissues prior to venipuncture and minor skin procedures, they remain underutilized, primarily due to their slow analgesic onset and inconsistent effectiveness. For a topical local anesthetic to be of practical use in busy clinical settings, it must be easy to apply, have minimal side effects, not require cumbersome equipment and be reasonably cost effective. Until recently, limitations in one or all of these areas have dissuaded pediatric practitioners from their routine use. However, recent advances in transdermal delivery technologies, have led to the emergence of a number of new delivery approaches that accelerate the onset time to 20 min or less and provide more consistent and deeper sensory skin analgesia. Although still in the early stages of investigation, technologies that promote the flux of drugs of all sizes through the skin by creating transient microchannels show great promise in circumventing the skin barrier and promoting the transdermal delivery of not only local anesthetics but also other drugs. Ultimately, the rationale to change clinical practice and use a new transdermal delivery system will depend upon the cost, ease of use, frequency of adverse events and the benefits to the patient relative to an alternative method.