Reliability of the International Spinal Cord Injury Musculoskeletal Basic Data Set

Reliability of the International Spinal Cord Injury Upper Extremity Basic Data Set

STUDY DESIGN

It is a psychometrics study.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the inter-rater reliability of the International Spinal Cord Injury Upper Extremity Basic Data Set (ISCI-UE).

SETTING

Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

METHODS

Individuals with subacute and chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) were recruited. One examiner rated five parts of the ISCI-UE, including the ability to reach and grasp, the shoulder function classification, utilization of adaptive devices used to enhance upper-extremity function, complications affecting upper-extremity function, and upper extremity/hand reconstructive surgery. A second blinded examiner repeated the procedures within 1 day. Quadratic weighted kappa was calculated to determine the inter-rater reliability.

RESULTS

Sixty participants were included in the study. Fifty-two patients were men, and the mean (SD) age of participants was 42.9 (14.3) years. The median (interquartile range) time since injury was 9.5 (1-53) months. A total of 117 upper limbs were assessed. The inter-rater reliability was substantial, with almost perfect agreement in all items (ability to reach and grasp = 0.98; shoulder function classification = 0.97; use of assistive devices = 0.89; complications = 0.74; and surgery = 1).

CONCLUSION

The International Spinal Cord Injury Upper Extremity Basic Data Set (ISCI-UE) has very good inter-rater reliability for evaluating individuals with cervical SCI.

Standardization of Data for Clinical Use and Research in Spinal Cord Injury

Increased survival after spinal cord injury (SCI) worldwide has enhanced the need for quality data that can be compared and shared between centers, countries, as well as across research studies, to better understand how best to prevent and treat SCI. Such data should be standardized and be able to be uniformly collected at any SCI center or within any SCI study. Standardization will make it possible to collect information from larger SCI populations for multi-center research studies. With this aim, the international SCI community has obtained consensus regarding the best available data and measures for use in SCI clinical practice and research. Reporting of SCI data is likewise standardized. Data elements are continuously updated and developed using an open and transparent process. There are ongoing internal, as well as external review processes, where all interested parties are encouraged to participate. The purpose of this review paper is to provide an overview of the initiatives to standardize data including the International Spinal Cord Society's International SCI Data Sets and the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Common Data Elements Project within SCI and discuss future opportunities.