Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) instrument is a self-report outcome tool, designed to measure the effectiveness of Wheeled Mobility and Seating (WMS) interventions for people with disabilities (PWD). To describe the psychometric properties of the FMA's test-retest reliability, a repeated-measures cohort study was conducted. The specific aims of the study included examining the test-retest reliability of the FMA and determining to what extent each self-reported performance item remained stable when clients responded twice to the same questions over a time period of no less than one week and no more than three weeks. Participants were recruited from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's (UPMC) Center for Assistive Technology (CAT). The study sample involved 20 participants who were non-wheelchair or scooter users but in the process of being evaluated for a device (Non-WMS users) and 21 participants who were being evaluated for a replacement device (Existing WMS users). These 41 participants completed an initial FMA questionnaire. After obtaining the initial assessment, the FMA was administered a second time, within 7-21 days. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were computed to determine agreement between the two scores. Test-retest reliability scores for all items and participants were above the acceptable value of > 0.80 for a clinical assessment tool, except "Health Needs" and "Reach" for the Non-WMS users, and "Transfers" and "Carry out daily routine" for Existing WMS users. Existing WMS users had higher total scores (greater satisfaction) on the FMA than Non-WMS users. Results indicate that the FMA was a reliable and stable tool for assessing satisfaction of individuals who use or need WMS interventions. Future studies should include larger samples and recruit participants from multiple sites.
Author: Amit Kumar
Language: English
Subfield: Occupational Therapy
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: University of Pittsburgh
OpenAlex ID: W2591699331