Feasibility, reliability, and agreement of the WeeFIM instrument in Dutch children with burns

To what extent the Arabic WeeFIM is reliable and feasible in Egyptian children with burns? An observational cross-sectional study

This is an observational cross-sectional study design aimed to assess the feasibility and reliability of Arabic version of WeeFIM in Egyptian children with healed burns with two measurements within a 2-week time period in a sample of 53 patients with healed burns who were aged 3 to 16 years and treated in the outpatient burn clinic, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University and Om Elmisryeen Hospital. All patients met the inclusive criteria were enrolled in the study. The adaptation of the Arabic WeeFIM instrument to an interview format suitable for burned children with communicative and/or cognitive problems and evaluation of its feasibility and reliability. The reliability was assessed by a test-retest procedure. Feasibility was evaluated by the assessment of the frequency of missing answers per item and administration time. The Arabic Index of Content Validity (ICV) was used for content validity assessment. The Arabic version of WeeFIM has borderline reliability (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.619 and Pearson correlation coefficient: r = 0.986). There was an acceptable percent to have a feasible test as 83.963% of the filled questionnaires had no missing answers and the mean of administration time was 7.4, 5.5 for 1 st and 2 nd assessments, respectively. The ICV of adapted WeeFIM items showed that all the questions were relevant except for two questions only. The Arabic version of WeeFIM has high test-retest reliability, moderate internal consistency, and excellent feasibility in measuring and reporting the functional independence and burden of care for children with healed burns.

Occupational therapy for epidermolysis bullosa: clinical practice guidelines

The purpose of this article is to summarize the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association (DEBRA) International evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for the provision of occupational therapy (OT) for children and adults living with inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB). This is a rare genetic disorder characterized by skin fragility leading to blister formation occurring spontaneously or following minor trauma. Current OT practice for persons with EB is based on anecdotal care, clinical expertise and trial and error with collaboration between caregiver and patient. Intervention based on research is needed to establish a foundation of knowledge to guide international practitioners to create and improve standards of care and to be able to work effectively with those living with the rare diagnosis of this condition.

This CPG was created by an international panel with expertise working with persons with EB. The panel was made up of 11 members including OT’s, a physiotherapist, a medical doctor, social worker, person with EB and a carer of a person with EB. It describes the development of recommendations for 5 outcomes determined by survey of persons with EB, caregivers, and experienced healthcare professionals. The outcomes include independence in activities of daily living (ADL), independence in instrumental ADL, maximization of hand function (non-surgical), fine motor development and retention, and oral feeding skills. The recommendations are supplemented with additional files that include photos and specific examples to further guide occupational therapists or, in situations where an OT is not available, other members of the healthcare team.

As the disorder of EB is rare, evidence-based CPGs are needed to provide a base of knowledge and practice for OTs throughout the world with the goal of providing quality care to patients, while improving their functional independence and quality of life. In addition, this information is valuable as a basis for further research.

How disabling are pediatric burns? Functional independence in Dutch pediatric patients with burns

Although the attention for functional outcomes after burn injury has grown over the past decades, little is known about functional independence in performing activities of daily living in children after burn injury. Therefore, in this prospective cohort study functional independence was measured by burn care professionals with the WeeFIM(®) instrument in 119 pediatric patients with burns (age: 6 months-16 years; 58.8% boys) in the Netherlands. In order to identify whether functional independence was affected, participants' total scores on the WeeFIM(®) instrument were compared to American norm values. Of the participants assessed at 2 weeks post burn (n = 117), 3 months post burn (n = 68) and/or 6 months post burn (n = 38), 22, 9 and 9 participants showed affected performance, respectively. Improvements in WeeFIM(®) total scores for the total study population between 2 weeks and 6 months post burn were significant (Wilcoxon T = 2.5; p<.001, effect size = -0.59). Individual improvements were found to be significant for 30.3% of the assessed participants between 2 weeks and 3 months post burn, and for 12.1% between 3 and 6 months post burn. This study is unique in providing data on functional independence for this large and special population. However, a proportion of participants were lost to follow-up and the use of the WeeFIM(®) instrument in this specific population and setting has its limitations. To conclude, burn injury impacts functional independence in children, yet the vast majority of Dutch pediatric patients with burns returns to functional independence typical for age within 6 months post burn.