Model System:

SCI

Reference Type:

JA

Accession No.:

J61985

Journal:


Spinal Cord

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 49, 8, 880-885

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study assessed the validity and reliability of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III) in measuring functional ability in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Functional ability was measured with the SCIM III during the first week of admittance into inpatient acute rehabilitation and within one week of discharge from the same rehabilitation program. Motor and sensory neurologic impairment was measured with the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used as a comparison standard for the SCIM III. Statistical analyses were used to test the validity and reliability of the SCIM III. Total agreement between raters was above 70 percent on most SCIM III tasks and all kappa coefficients were statistically significant. The coefficients of Pearson correlation between the paired raters were above 0.81 and intraclass correlation coefficients were above 0.81. Cronbach's alpha was above 0.7, with the exception of the respiration task. The coefficient of Pearson correlation between the FIM and SCIM III was 0.8. For the respiration and sphincter management subscale, the SCIM III was more responsive to change, than the FIM. Results suggest that the SCIM III is a reliable and valid measure of functional change in SCI.

Author(s):


Anderson KD, Acuff ME, Arp BG, Backus D, Chun S, Fisher K, Fjerstad JE, Graves DE,Greenwald K, Groah SL, Harkema SJ, Horton JA 3rd, Huang MN, Jennings M, Kelley KS, Kessler SM, Kirshblum S, Koltenuk S, et al.