Development of a tool to guide referral of patients with neuromuscular disorders to allied health services. Part two

Author： Pieterse Allan Cup Edith Knuijt Simone Akkermans Reinier Hendricks Henk van Engelen Baziel van der Wilt Gert-Jan Oostendorp Rob

Publisher： Informa Healthcare

ISSN： 1464-5165

Source： Disability and Rehabilitation, Vol.30, Iss.11, 2008-01, pp. : 863-870

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Abstract

Purpose. The Perceived Limitations and Needs Questionnaire (PLAN-Q) was developed to guide referral for a one-off consultation by occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech therapy (ST) consultation, to provide a tailor-made advice on allied health interventions. This article reports on the testing of validity and reliability of the PLAN-Q. Methods. In the validation study, 208 patients with a broad spectrum of neuromuscular disorders completed the PLAN-Q, Medical Outcome Study short-form 36-item version (SF-36), and the Impact of Participation on Autonomy (IPA) questionnaires. A subsection of 51 patients, whose physical condition was stable, participated in the evaluation of the intra-rater reliability of the questionnaire. The theoretical construct was tested with factorial analysis, subscales were constructed and reliability and validity of the PLAN-Q subscales were assessed. Results. Factorial analysis resulted in an 18-item self-report questionnaire. Items were grouped into four subscales ('physical capacity', 'transferring', 'oropharyngeal capacity', and 'hand-use'), each with two dimensions ('capacity' and 'need for help'). The internal consistency of all subscales was good (Cronbach's α: 0.77 - 0.94) as well as the intra-rater reliability of the subscales 'physical capacity' and 'transferring' in the 'capacity' dimension (Kappa: 0.70 - 0.75). The 'need' dimension showed poor intra-rater reliability suggesting that 'need for help' is a variable phenomenon that changes between two points of measurement. The construct validity of the subscales against the SF-36 and the IPA was satisfactory. Conclusion. The PLAN-Q is a valid self-report instrument that measures patients' perception of capacity and needs in domains relevant to referral for a one-off OT, PT, or ST consultation.