Functional status in children with limb deficiency: development and initial validation of an outcome measure.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a new outcome measure in response to the increasing demands for cost effectiveness analyses and empirically derived outcome instruments in the treatment of pediatric limb deficiency. This article describes the development, refinement, and initial psychometric properties of the Child Amputee Prosthetics Project-Functional Status Inventory (CAPP-FSI).

DESIGN

Parents of children with limb deficiency were surveyed during routine clinic visits.

SETTING

Two outpatient pediatric clinics.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventy-five parents and their children with limb deficiency (ages 8 to 17 years) participated in the study as part of annual physical evaluations or routine follow-up care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The newly developed CAPP-FSI.

RESULTS

Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) = .96 for the CAPP-FSI. Content validity is described and initial construct validity is empirically confirmed.

CONCLUSION

The CAPP-FSI is a promising assessment instrument for measuring important health outcomes in children with upper or lower limb deficiency.