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The Journal of Pain Mar 2019The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Pain Severity subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-PS) are the most frequently used instruments to...
Measurement Properties of Visual Analogue Scale, Numeric Rating Scale, and Pain Severity Subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory in Patients With Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Pain Severity subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-PS) are the most frequently used instruments to measure pain intensity in low back pain. However, their measurement properties in this population have not been reviewed systematically. The goal of this study was to provide such systematic evidence synthesis. Six electronic sources (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, Google Scholar) were searched (July 2017). Studies assessing any measurement property in patients with nonspecific low back pain were included. Two reviewers independently screened articles and assessed risk of bias using the COSMIN checklist. For each measurement property, evidence quality was rated as high, moderate, low, or very low (GRADE approach) and results were classified as sufficient, insufficient, or inconsistent. Ten studies assessed the VAS, 13 the NRS, 4 the BPI-PS. The 3 instruments displayed low or very low quality evidence for content validity. High-quality evidence was only available for NRS insufficient measurement error. Moderate evidence was available for NRS inconsistent responsiveness, BPI-PS sufficient structural validity and internal consistency, and BPI-PS inconsistent construct validity. All VAS measurement properties were underpinned by no, low, or very low quality evidence; likewise, the other measurement properties of NRS and BPI-PS. PERSPECTIVES: Despite their broad use, there is no evidence clearly suggesting that one among VAS, NRS, and BPI-PS has superior measurement properties in low back pain. Future adequate quality head-to-head comparisons are needed and priority should be given to assessing content validity, test-retest reliability, measurement error, and responsiveness.
Topics: Humans; Low Back Pain; Pain Measurement; Psychometrics; Severity of Illness Index; Visual Analog Scale
PubMed: 30099210
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.07.009 -
BMC Neurology Mar 2014There are a number of instruments that describe severity and progression of multiple sclerosis and they are increasingly used as endpoints to assess the effectiveness of... (Review)
Review
Systematic literature review and validity evaluation of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) in patients with multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
There are a number of instruments that describe severity and progression of multiple sclerosis and they are increasingly used as endpoints to assess the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. We examined to what extent the psychometric properties of two accepted instruments--EDSS and MSFC--meet methodological standards and the value they have in clinical trials.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic literature search in relevant databases [MEDLINE (PubMed), ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO & PSYNDEX, CINAHL] yielding 3,860 results. Relevant full-text publications were identified using abstract and then full-text reviews, and the literature was reviewed.
RESULTS
For evaluation of psychometric properties (validity, reliability, sensitivity of change) of EDSS and MSFC, 120 relevant full-text publications were identified, 54 of them assessed the EDSS, 26 the MSFC and 40 included both instruments. The EDSS has some documented weaknesses in reliability and sensitivity to change. The main limitations of the MSFC are learning effects and the z-scores method used to calculate the total score. However, the methodological criterion of validity applies sufficiently for both instruments.For use in clinical studies, we found the EDSS to be preferred as a primary and secondary outcome measure in recent studies (50 EDSS, 9 MSFC).
CONCLUSIONS
Recognizing their strengths and weaknesses, both EDSS and MSFC are suitable to detect the effectiveness of clinical interventions and to monitor disease progression. Almost all publications identify the EDSS as the most widely used tool to measure disease outcomes in clinical trials. Despite some limitations, both instruments are accepted as endpoints and neither are discussed as surrogate parameters in identified publications. A great advantage of the EDSS is its international acceptance (e.g. by EMA) as a primary endpoint in clinical trials and its broad use in trials, enabling cross-study comparisons.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Disability Evaluation; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Psychometrics
PubMed: 24666846
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-14-58 -
Neurological Sciences : Official... Feb 2022Cognitive screening tests (CSTs) are crucial to neuropsychological diagnostics, and thus need to be featured by robust psychometric and diagnostic properties. However,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Cognitive screening tests (CSTs) are crucial to neuropsychological diagnostics, and thus need to be featured by robust psychometric and diagnostic properties. However, CSTs happen not to meet desirable statistical standards, negatively affecting their level of recommendations and applicability. This study aimed at (a) providing an up-to-date compendium of available CSTs in Italy, (b) report their psychometric and diagnostic properties, and (c) address related limitations.
METHODS
This review was implemented by consulting Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and pre-registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Standardization and usability studies focusing on norms, validity, reliability, or sensitivity/specificity (and derived metrics) in adults were considered for eligibility. Quality assessment was performed by means of an ad hoc checklist collecting information on sampling, psychometrics/diagnostics, norming, and feasibility.
RESULTS
Sixty studies were included out of an initial N = 683. Identified CSTs (N = 40) were classified into general, domain-, and disease-specific (N = 17, 7, and 16, respectively), the latter being less statistically robust than remaining categories. Validity and reliability evidence was provided for 29 and 26 CSTs, respectively, sensitivity/specificity for 20 and norms for 33. Prevalence- and post-test-based diagnostic metrics were seldomly represented; factorial structures, ceiling/floor effects, and acceptability rarely investigated; content, face, and ecological validity never assessed.
DISCUSSION
Although available Italian CSTs overall met basic psychometric/diagnostic requirements, their statistical profile often proved to be poor on several properties that are desirable for clinical applications, with a few exceptions among general and domain-specific ones.
Topics: Adult; Checklist; Cognition; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Research
PubMed: 34816316
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05683-4 -
Physical & Occupational Therapy in... May 2018To describe the clinical properties and psychometric soundness of pediatric oral motor feeding assessments. (Review)
Review
AIM
To describe the clinical properties and psychometric soundness of pediatric oral motor feeding assessments.
METHODS
A systematic search was conducted using Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and HAPI databases. Assessments were analyzed for their clinical and psychometric characteristics.
RESULTS
12 assessment tools were identified to meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Clinical properties varied from assessments evaluating oral-motor deficits, screening to identify feeding problems, and monitoring feeding progress. Most assessments were designed for children with developmental disabilities or cerebral palsy. Eleven assessments had psychometric evidence, of these nine had reliability and validity testing (Ability for Basic Feeding and Swallowing Scale for Children, Behavioral Assessment Scale of Oral Functions in Feeding, Dysphagia Disorder Survey, Functional Feeding Assessment-modified, Gisel Video Assessment, Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale, Oral Motor Assessment Scale, Schedule for Oral Motor Assessment, and Screening Tool of Feeding Problems Applied to Children). The Brief Assessment of Motor Function-Oral Motor Deglutition and the Pediatric Assessment Scale for Severe Feeding Problems had reliability testing only. The Slurp Test was not tested for any psychometric properties. Overall, psychometric evidence was inconsistent and inadequate for the evaluative tools.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Deglutition; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Humans; Infant; Motor Skills; Mouth; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Young Adult
PubMed: 28430014
DOI: 10.1080/01942638.2017.1290734 -
International Journal of Rehabilitation... Jun 2016The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) has been identified as the most comprehensive balance measure for community-dwelling adults and elderly... (Review)
Review
The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) has been identified as the most comprehensive balance measure for community-dwelling adults and elderly individuals. It can be used to assess balance impairments in several other conditions, mainly Parkinson's disease and stroke. Despite increasing use of the Mini-BESTest since it was first published 5 years ago, no systematic review synthesizing its psychometric properties is available. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Mini-BESTest when administered to patients with balance deficits because of different diseases. A literature search was performed on articles published before July 2015 in journals indexed by MEDLINE and Scopus databases. The search produced 98 papers, 24 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this review. Most papers (n=19) focused on patients affected by neurological diseases, mainly Parkinson's disease. In 21 papers, the psychometric characteristics were analyzed using Classical Test Theory methods and in only three papers was Rasch analysis carried out. This review shows the interest of researchers in the Mini-BESTest despite the short time frame since its first publication. The Mini-BESTest is used widely in both clinical practice and research. The results support the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of this instrument and it can be considered a standard balance measure. However, it would be valuable to learn more about how this scale performs in different diseases causing balance deficits and to better define the minimal clinically important difference for each disease.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Disability Evaluation; Humans; Parkinson Disease; Physical Therapy Modalities; Postural Balance; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Stroke
PubMed: 26795715
DOI: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000153 -
BMJ Open Oct 2018Gross motor assessment tools have a critical role in identifying, diagnosing and evaluating motor difficulties in childhood. The objective of this review was to...
OBJECTIVE
Gross motor assessment tools have a critical role in identifying, diagnosing and evaluating motor difficulties in childhood. The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of gross motor assessment tools for children aged 2-12 years.
METHOD
A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and AMED was performed between May and July 2017. Methodological quality was assessed with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments checklist and an outcome measures rating form was used to evaluate reliability, validity and clinical utility of assessment tools.
RESULTS
Seven assessment tools from 37 studies/manuals met the inclusion criteria: Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development-III (Bayley-III), Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2), Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND), Neurological Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment (NSMDA), Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2) and Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). Methodological quality varied from poor to excellent. Validity and internal consistency varied from fair to excellent (α=0.5-0.99). The Bayley-III, NSMDA and MABC-2 have evidence of predictive validity. Test-retest reliability is excellent in the BOT-2 (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.80-0.99), PDMS-2 (ICC=0.97), MABC-2 (ICC=0.83-0.96) and TGMD-2 (ICC=0.81-0.92). TGMD-2 has the highest inter-rater (ICC=0.88-0.93) and intrarater reliability (ICC=0.92-0.99).
CONCLUSIONS
The majority of gross motor assessments for children have good-excellent validity. Test-retest reliability is highest in the BOT-2, MABC-2, PDMS-2 and TGMD-2. The Bayley-III has the best predictive validity at 2 years of age for later motor outcome. None of the assessment tools demonstrate good evaluative validity. Further research on evaluative gross motor assessment tools are urgently needed.
Topics: Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Disability Evaluation; Humans; Motor Skills; Motor Skills Disorders; Neurologic Examination; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 30368446
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021734 -
Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal... Aug 2021The impact of screen-based devices on children's health and development cannot be properly understood without valid and reliable tools that measure screen time within... (Review)
Review
The impact of screen-based devices on children's health and development cannot be properly understood without valid and reliable tools that measure screen time within the evolving digital landscape. This review aimed to summarize characteristics of measurement tools used to assess screen time in young children; evaluate reporting of psychometric properties; and examine time trends related to measurement and reporting of screen time. A systematic review of articles published in English across three databases from January 2009 to April 2020 was undertaken using PROSPERO protocol (registration: CRD42019132599) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Included articles measured screen time as outcome, exposure, or confounder in children 0-6 years. The search identified 35,868 records, 1035 full-text articles were screened for eligibility, and 622 met inclusion criteria. Most measures (60%) consisted of one to three items and assessed duration of screen time on a usual day. Few measures assessed content (11%) or coviewing (7%). Only 40% of articles provided a citation for the measure, and only 69 (11%) reported psychometric properties-reliability n = 58, validity n = 19, reliability and validity n = 8. Between 2009 and 2019, the number of published articles increased from 28 to 71. From 2015, there was a notable increase in the proportion of articles published each year that assessed exposure to mobile devices in addition to television. The increasing number of published articles reflects increasing interest in screen time exposure among young children. Measures of screen time have generally evolved to reflect children's contemporary digital landscape; however, the psychometric properties of measurement tools are rarely reported. There is a need for improved measures and reporting to capture the complexity of children's screen time exposures.
Topics: Child; Child Health; Child, Preschool; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Screen Time
PubMed: 33960616
DOI: 10.1111/obr.13260 -
Journal of Community Psychology Sep 2021The Communities That Care Youth Survey (CTCYS) is an assessment for youth risk and protective factors focused on antisocial behaviors, drug abuse, violence, and...
AIMS
The Communities That Care Youth Survey (CTCYS) is an assessment for youth risk and protective factors focused on antisocial behaviors, drug abuse, violence, and delinquency. The systematic review aimed to analyze psychometric validations and cross-cultural adaptation processes of CTCYS to prepare its Brazilian validation.
METHODS
PubMed, SpringerLink, Scopus, and Web of Science were the databases included. The study followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol.
RESULTS
Twenty articles were selected based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. In general, the construct validity indexes were considered adequate, and the measures of risk and protective factors were equivalent between ethnic groups, gender, and populations at risk. Reliability values for most scales are good, averaging about 0.78. We found cultural adaptations from six different countries with some satisfactory results, but not so good as the original properties of CTCYS and the adjustments to other ethnic groups or subpopulations in the United States.
CONCLUSION
This survey may be a potentially reliable and valid instrument to assess risk and protection in different cultures and populations. However, there is still a gap in the instrument's cross-cultural adaptation processes.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Social Change; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States
PubMed: 33634886
DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22529 -
Physical Therapy May 2008In a recent study of 655 physical therapists working with a stroke population, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was identified as the most commonly used assessment tool... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In a recent study of 655 physical therapists working with a stroke population, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was identified as the most commonly used assessment tool across the continuum of stroke rehabilitation. Given the widespread popularity of the BBS, it is important to critically appraise the BBS for its use with a stroke population.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to conduct a systematic review of the psychometric properties of the BBS specific to stroke and to identify strengths and weaknesses in its usefulness for stroke rehabilitation.
RESULTS
Twenty-one studies examining the psychometric properties of the BBS with a stroke population were retrieved. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach alpha=.92-.98) as was interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs]=.95-.98), intrarater reliability (ICC=.97), and test-retest reliability (ICC=.98). Sixteen studies focused on validity and generally found excellent correlations with the Barthel Index, the Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients, Functional Reach Test, the balance subscale of Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Functional Independence Measure, the Rivermead Mobility Index (except for weight shift and step-up items), and gait speed. Berg Balance Scale scores predicted length of stay, discharge destination, motor ability at 180 days poststroke, and disability level at 90 days, but these scores were not predictive of falls. Eight studies focused on responsiveness; all reported moderate to excellent sensitivity. Three studies found floor or ceiling effects.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The BBS is a psychometrically sound measure of balance impairment for use in poststroke assessment. Given the floor and ceiling effects, clinicians may want to use the BBS in conjunction with other balance measures.
Topics: Aged; Disability Evaluation; Humans; Observer Variation; Postural Balance; Psychometrics; Sensation Disorders; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation
PubMed: 18292215
DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20070205 -
Quality of Life Research : An... Mar 2021Although the EQ-5D has a long history of use in a wide range of populations, the newer five-level version (EQ-5D-5L) has not yet had such extensive experience. This...
PURPOSE
Although the EQ-5D has a long history of use in a wide range of populations, the newer five-level version (EQ-5D-5L) has not yet had such extensive experience. This systematic review summarizes the available published scientific evidence on the psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L.
METHODS
Pre-determined key words and exclusion criteria were used to systematically search publications from 2011 to 2019. Information on study characteristics and psychometric properties were extracted: specifically, EQ-5D-5L distribution (including ceiling and floor), missing values, reliability (test-retest), validity (convergent, known-groups, discriminate) and responsiveness (distribution, anchor-based). EQ-5D-5L index value means, ceiling and correlation coefficients (convergent validity) were pooled across the studies using random-effects models.
RESULTS
Of the 889 identified publications, 99 were included for review, representing 32 countries. Musculoskeletal/orthopedic problems and cancer (n = 8 each) were most often studied. Most papers found missing values (17 of 17 papers) and floor effects (43 of 48 papers) to be unproblematic. While the index was found to be reliable (9 of 9 papers), individual dimensions exhibited instability over time. Index values and dimensions demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with global health measures, other multi-attribute utility instruments, physical/functional health, pain, activities of daily living, and clinical/biological measures. The instrument was not correlated with life satisfaction and cognition/communication measures. Responsiveness was addressed by 15 studies, finding moderate effect sizes when confined to studied subgroups with improvements in health.
CONCLUSIONS
The EQ-5D-5L exhibits excellent psychometric properties across a broad range of populations, conditions and settings. Rigorous exploration of its responsiveness is needed.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Female; Humans; Male; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33284428
DOI: 10.1007/s11136-020-02688-y