Abstract
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is widely used as a clinical outcome measure. However, the reliability and agreement of the 6MWT is unknown in individuals with hip fractures.
To evaluate the relative inter-rater reliability and agreement of the 6MWT in individuals with hip fractures.
Two senior physiotherapy students independently examined (randomized order) a convenient sample of 20 participants; their assessments were separated by two days, and testing followed instructions from the American Thoracic Society. Hip pain was assessed with the Verbal Ranking Scale.
Participants (all women) with a mean (SD) age of 78.1 ± 5.9 years performed the test within a mean of 31.5 ± 5.8 days post-surgery; 10 had a cervical and 10 a trochanteric fracture.
Excellent inter-rater reliability; ICC2.1 = 0.92 (95% CI, 0.81 - 0.97) was found, and the standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest real difference (SRD) were calculated as 21.4 meters and 59.4 meters, respectively.
Bland-Altman plots revealed no significant difference (mean of 3.2 ± 31.5 meters, P = 0.83) between the two raters, and no heteroscedasticity was seen (r = -0.196, P = 0.41). On the contrary, participants walked a mean of 21.7 ± 22.6 meters longer, at the second trial (P = 0.002).
Participants with moderate hip fracture-related pain walked a shorter distance than those with no or light pain during the first test (P = 0.04), while this was not the case during the second (P = 0.25).
Excellent inter-rater reliability was found with a low level of measurement error, particularly for a group of participants with hip fractures, as a change of 22 meters can be considered a real change. The importance of measuring hip fracture-related pain during testing seems important when individuals with hip fracture perform the 6MWT.
To evaluate the relative inter-rater reliability and agreement of the 6MWT in individuals with hip fractures.
Two senior physiotherapy students independently examined (randomized order) a convenient sample of 20 participants; their assessments were separated by two days, and testing followed instructions from the American Thoracic Society. Hip pain was assessed with the Verbal Ranking Scale.
Participants (all women) with a mean (SD) age of 78.1 ± 5.9 years performed the test within a mean of 31.5 ± 5.8 days post-surgery; 10 had a cervical and 10 a trochanteric fracture.
Excellent inter-rater reliability; ICC2.1 = 0.92 (95% CI, 0.81 - 0.97) was found, and the standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest real difference (SRD) were calculated as 21.4 meters and 59.4 meters, respectively.
Bland-Altman plots revealed no significant difference (mean of 3.2 ± 31.5 meters, P = 0.83) between the two raters, and no heteroscedasticity was seen (r = -0.196, P = 0.41). On the contrary, participants walked a mean of 21.7 ± 22.6 meters longer, at the second trial (P = 0.002).
Participants with moderate hip fracture-related pain walked a shorter distance than those with no or light pain during the first test (P = 0.04), while this was not the case during the second (P = 0.25).
Excellent inter-rater reliability was found with a low level of measurement error, particularly for a group of participants with hip fractures, as a change of 22 meters can be considered a real change. The importance of measuring hip fracture-related pain during testing seems important when individuals with hip fracture perform the 6MWT.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 21. Oct 2014 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 21. Oct 2014 |
| Event | Dansk Ortopædisk Selskab 2014: Årsmøde - SAS, Radissson, København, Denmark Duration: 22. Oct 2014 → 24. Oct 2014 |
Conference
| Conference | Dansk Ortopædisk Selskab 2014 |
|---|---|
| Location | SAS, Radissson |
| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| City | København |
| Period | 22/10/2014 → 24/10/2014 |