Reproducibility of three self-report participation measures: The ICF Measure of Participation and Activities Screener, the Participation Scale, and the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reproducibility of 3 participation measures.

DESIGN: Repeated administration of a postal questionnaire with a 2-week interval.

PARTICIPANTS: Outpatients (n = 47) from 2 rehabilitation centres and a university hospital in The Netherlands.

METHODS: Measures were the ICF Measure of Participation and Activities Screener (IMPACT-S), the Participation Scale, and the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-P). Test-retest reliability was analysed using Cohen's weighted kappa and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement was expressed as the standard error of measurement and the smallest detectable change (SDC), substantiated as the ratio between the SDC and the standard deviation (SDC/SD).

RESULTS: ICC values of the IMPACT-S were 0.54-0.90 for the scale scores, 0.92 and 0.74 for sub-total scores Activities and Participation, and 0.88 for the total score. The ICC of the Participation Scale was 0.82. The ICC of the USER-P was 0.65 for the Frequency scale, 0.85 for the Restrictions scale, and 0.84 for the Satisfaction scale. The SDC/SD ratios for all measures were small (0.11-0.28) at the group level, but large (0.78-1.91) at the individual level. Most participants found all measures relevant and easy to complete.

CONCLUSION: All 3 measures showed generally satisfying reproducibility and were acceptable to the participants.