Test–Retest Reliability of Capability Measurement in the UK General Population

Although philosophically attractive, it may be difficult, in practice, to measure individuals' capabilities (what they are able to do in their lives) as opposed to their functionings (what they actually do). To examine whether capability information could be reliably self‐reported, we administered a measure of self‐reported capability (the Investigating Choice Experiments Capability Measure for Adults, ICECAP‐A) on two occasions, 2 weeks apart, alongside a self‐reported health measure (the EuroQol Five Dimensional Questionnaire with 3 levels, EQ‐5D‐3L). We found that respondents were able to report capabilities with a moderate level of consistency, although somewhat less reliably than their health status. The more socially orientated nature of some of the capability questions may account for the difference. © 2014 The Authors Health Economics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

韦克斯勒记忆量表第四版中文版(成人版)的修订

目的:修订韦克斯勒记忆量表第四版(WMS-IV)中文版(成人版),并考察其效度和信度。方法:将全国16岁以上人口作为取样总体,以年龄、性别、教育程度为主要变量按比例分层取样,选取16~69岁有效样本1561人,应用WMS-IV中文版(成人版)对样本进行个别记忆测验。该量表包括5个基本分量表(逻辑记忆、词语配对、图形重置、视觉再现、空间叠加),用于导出5个指数分;还包含1个简明认知状况测验的可选分量表。同时施测韦氏成人智力量表第四版(WAIS-IV)中文版来检验效标效度。选取样本中95名被试间隔22天后重测WMS-IV中文版(成人版)。结果:验证性因子分析表明量表的二因素结构拟合较好(χ2/df=14.77/4,RM SEA=0.04,NFI=0.99,NNFI=0.99,RFI=0.99,AGFI=0.99,SRM R=0.02);各指数分与WAIS-IV中文版工作记忆指数的相关系数为0.50~0.64,各指数分及总记忆商与总智商的相关系数为0.61~0.73(均P<0.05)。各分量表得分、过程分、指数分及总记忆商的平均信度系数分别为0.79~0.93、0.67~0.86、0.93~0.97;分量表得分、指数分及总记忆商的重测信度分别为0.40~0.69、0.68~0.76、0.78;各再认分量表分类判定的一致性系数均>0.90;评分者一致性>0.95。结论:WM S-IV中文版(成人版)具有良好的效度和信度,可以在中国成人群体中进行应用。     

Assessing Organizational Change in Multisector Community Health Alliances

Objective

The purpose of this article was to identify some common organizational features of multisector health care alliances (MHCAs) and the analytic challenges presented by those characteristics in assessing organizational change.

Data Sources

Two rounds of an Internet-based survey of participants in 14 MHCAs.

Study Design

We highlight three analytic challenges that can arise when quantitatively studying the organizational characteristics of MHCAs—assessing change in MHCA organization, assessment of construct reliability, and aggregation of individual responses to reflect organizational characteristics. We illustrate these issues using a leadership effectiveness scale (12 items) validated in previous research and data from 14 MHCAs participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation''s Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) program.

Findings

High levels of instability and turnover in MHCA membership create challenges in using survey data to study changes in key organizational characteristics of MHCAs. We offer several recommendations to diagnose the source and extent of these problems.     

Content and psychometric evaluations of questionnaires for assessing physical function in people with neck disorders: a systematic review of the literature

Purpose: The purpose was to investigate how physical function is assessed in people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the neck. Specifically, we aimed to determine: (1) Which questionnaires are used to assess physical function in people with MSD in the neck? (2) What do those questionnaires measure? (3) What are the measurement properties of the questionnaires?

Materials and methods: A systematic review was performed to identify questionnaires and psychometric evaluations. The content of the questionnaires was categorized according to the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health, and the psychometric properties were quality-rated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments checklist.

Results: Ten questionnaires and 32 articles evaluating measurement properties were analyzed. Most questionnaires covered only the components body functions and activity and participation, more often activity participation than body function. Internal consistency was adequate in most questionnaires, whereas responsiveness was generally low. Neck Disability Index was most evaluated, but the evaluations of all questionnaires tended to cover most properties in the checklist.

Conclusions: The questionnaires differed substantially in items and extent to which their psychometric properties had been evaluated. Focus of measurement was on activities in daily life rather than physical function as such.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• To provide early diagnostics and effective treatment for patients with neck disorders, valid and reliable instruments that measure relevant aspects of the disorders are needed.

• This paper presents an overview of content and quality of questionnaires used to assess physical function in neck disorders, which may facilitate informed decisions about which measurement instruments to use when evaluating the course of neck disorders.

• Most of the questionnaires need more testing to judge the quality, however the NDI was the most frequently tested questionnaire.

• The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments checklist is a useful tool in relation to psychometric testing of questionnaires, but clear definitions of interpretation of the quality criteria in each study would enhance comparability of results.

     

Psychometric properties of the International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health set for spinal cord injury nursing based on Rasch analysis

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) set for spinal cord injury nursing (ICF-SCIN) using Rasch analysis.

Methods: A total of 140 spinal cord injury patients were recruited between December 2013 and March 2014 through convenience sampling. Nurses used the components body functions (BF), body structures (BS), and activities and participation (AP) of the ICF-SCIN to rate the patients’ functioning. Rasch analysis was performed using RUMM 2030 software.

Results: In each component, categories were rescored from 01234 to 01112 because of reversed thresholds. Nine testlets were created to overcome local dependency. Four categories which fit to the Rasch model poorly were deleted. After modification, the components BF, BS, and AP showed good fit to the Rasch model with a Bonferroni-adjusted significant level (χ^2?=^?86.29, p?=?0.006; χ^2?=^?22.44, p?=?0.130; χ^2?=^?39.92, p?= 0.159). The person separation indices (PSIs) for the three components were 0.80, 0.54, and 0.97, respectively. No differential item functioning (DIF) was detected across age, gender, or educational level.

Conclusions: The fit properties of the ICF set were satisfactory after modifications. The ICF-SCIN has the potential as a nursing assessment instrument for measuring the functioning of patients with spinal cord injury.

• Implications for rehabilitation

• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) set for spinal cord injury nursing contains a group of categories which can reflect the functioning of spinal cord injury patients from the perspective of nurses.

• The components body functions (BF), body structures (BS), and activities and participation (AP) of the ICF set for spinal cord injury achieved the fit to the Rasch model through rescoring, generating testlets, and deleting categories with poor fit.

• The ICF set for spinal cord injury nursing (ICF-SCIN) has the potential to be used as a clinical nursing assessment tool in measuring the functioning of patients with spinal cord injury.