Is anyone using the ROADS disability scale? If you are, will you share your thoughts/feedback?
Thanks,
Alisa
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disability scale (ROADS)
that uses the mathematically rigorous Rasch methodology outperforms the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) in measuring ALS patient-reported outcomes, researchers report.
“The ROADS gives the clinician practical, easy to interpret information about the patient’s overall disability level, allowing the clinician to anticipate
current and future needs for their patients and track disease progression,” Dr. Christina N. Fournier of Emory University and Atlanta VA Medical Center told Reuters Health by email. “We expect this patient-reported outcome measure to provide valuable, clinically
relevant information for use in real-time at the bedside.”
The ALSFRS-R is commonly used as the primary outcome measure for contemporary clinical trials aiming to slow ALS progression, but its lack of scale responsiveness
limits its ability to detect a treatment effect, particularly over the typical six-month treatment period.
Dr. Fournier and colleagues used Rasch methodology to create their Rasch-Built Overall ALS Disability Scale (ROADS) and validated it in 243 patients
with ALS.
The final questionnaire includes 28 items, with each item scored as 0 (unable to perform), 1 (able to perform but with difficulty), or 2 (able to perform
without difficulty).
All items correlated positively with the measure they were intended to assess, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.53 to 0.74. Infit and outfit
statistics demonstrated appropriate item fit for all selected questions.
Among 67 participants who completed two questionnaires, test-retest reliability was excellent, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97.
The ROADS targeted a broader range of ability levels, compared with the ALSFRS-R, the researchers note in
JAMA Neurology.
“The ROADS is a simple tool to incorporate into clinical practice, and patients with ALS can typically complete the questionnaire within a few minutes,”
Dr. Fournier said. “The ROADS is highly reliable and targets a broader range of disability levels compared to the currently used ALS Functional Rating Scale, and because of this, it is expected to be more responsive in detecting clinical changes. We encourage
researchers to incorporate the ROADS into future ALS research studies.”
[Source(s): Medscape, Reuters Health]
Alisa Brownlee, ATP, CAPS | Assistive Technology Specialist/Consultant, Chapter Care Services
The ALS Association | 1300
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