Reliability of interRAI Assessment Instruments Across 12 Countries
Author Information
Author(s): Hirdes John P, Ljunggren Gunnar, Morris John N, Frijters Dinnus HM, Finne Soveri Harriet, Gray Len, Björkgren Magnus, Gilgen Reudi
Primary Institution: University of Waterloo
Hypothesis
The study aims to evaluate the reliability of the interRAI suite of assessment instruments used in various health care settings.
Conclusion
The interRAI suite of instruments demonstrated substantial reliability across different care settings, indicating their effectiveness for integrated health information systems.
Supporting Evidence
- The overall kappa mean value for items common to multiple instruments was 0.75.
- Over 60% of items scored greater than 0.70 for reliability.
- Reliability varied among specialized items, ranging from 0.63 to 0.73.
Takeaway
This study shows that a set of assessment tools used for elderly and disabled people is reliable, meaning they work well in different health care situations.
Methodology
Paired assessments were conducted on 783 individuals across 12 countries by trained assessors who were blinded to each other's results, using weighted kappa coefficients to test reliability.
Potential Biases
The use of convenience samples may introduce bias, as not all populations were targeted uniformly across countries.
Limitations
Variability in training approaches and data collection methods across countries may affect the results, and the study did not require assessors to be gold standard assessors.
Participant Demographics
Participants included individuals from various care settings, with a focus on elderly and disabled populations across 12 countries.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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