Reliability of a Self-Administered Performance Evaluation Tool Based on the Modified Barthel Index.

BACKGROUND

Accurately assessing Activities of Daily Living (ADL) is crucial for evaluating patient independence, yet there is a lack of standardized tools suitable for large-scale surveys, particularly those that are self-administered. We aimed to validate the reliability of the self-administered Performance Evaluation Tool based on the modified Barthel Index (PET-MBI).

METHODS

In this study, 53 patients and 18 occupational therapists were included to determine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities via questionnaires. The inclusion criteria for patients were being admitted to a convalescent or community care ward and being able to communicate. The inclusion criteria for professionals were being an occupational therapist in charge of the patients and having at least two years of experience.

RESULTS

The inter-rater reliability scores of PET-MBI were 80.4 ± 20.4 and 81.1 ± 19.2 points for patient and therapist ratings, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the total score was 0.888. Regarding intra-rater reliability, the patients' scores were 80.4 ± 20.4 and 84.1 ± 19.8 points for the first and second assessments, respectively. The ICC for the total score was 0.927.

CONCLUSION

The self-administered PET-MBI demonstrated reliability in terms of total scores and numerous sub-items, demonstrating potential as a valuable tool for ADL assessment in large-scale surveys.