Psychometric Evaluation of the Improved Work-Disability Functional Assessment Battery.
Mark Meterko, Molly Marino, Pengsheng Ni and 7 others
PMID 30578775WHAT IT FOUND
The updated work-disability self-report generally gave consistent scores when answered twice five days apart, but some physical and mental health scales were less stable.
This is not evidence it improves care.
Key findings
01When the same people answered the WD-FAB 2.0 physical function scales twice five days apart, score agreement was 0.69 to 0.77 in working age adults and 0.66 to 0.86 in adults with physical work disability.
02When the same people answered the WD-FAB 2.0 mental health scales twice five days apart, score agreement was 0.62 to 0.73 in working age adults and 0.74 to 0.76 in adults with mental health work disability.
03The WD-FAB 2.0 scales matched other measures of the same area better than measures of the other area. In adults with physical work disability, the median match was 0.54 with physical measures and 0.19 with mental health measures. In adults with mental health work disability, the median match was 0.43 with mental health measures and 0.23 with physical measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The samples came from an opt-in internet panel, and disability status was based on self-report rather than independent verification. Some physical and mental health scales were less stable in working age adults than in disability samples. The authors said more experience applying the battery in people with work disability is needed before future updates.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article lists NIH research support and describes collaboration with the Social Security Administration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that the battery improves patient care or guides therapy. It tested how stable and comparable the scores were, not whether using it changes treatment results.