Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 7 , Pages 1294-1299, July 2008

The Patient-Specific Functional Scale: Validity in Workers' Compensation Claimants

  • Douglas P. Gross, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
    • Workers' Compensation Board in Alberta/Millard Health, Edmonton, AB, Canada
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Douglas P. Gross, PhD, 2-50 Corbett Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G4, Canada
    • ,
  • Michele C. Battié, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
    • ,
  • Alexander K. Asante, MScOT

      Affiliations

    • Peter Lougheed Centre, Calgary Health Region, Calgary, AB, Canada.

published online 05 June 2008.

Abstract 

Gross DP, Battié MC, Asante AK. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale: validity in workers' compensation claimants.

Objective

To examine the construct and predictive validity of the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) in workers' compensation claimants.

Design

Prospective cohort study with 1-year follow-up.

Setting

A workers' compensation rehabilitation facility.

Participants

Subjects included 294 claimants with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. The sample was predominantly male (70%), with a mean age of 44 years. Subjects completed a battery of measures at baseline including the PSFS, the Pain Disability Index (PDI), and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Outcomes for determining predictive validity included administrative indicators of timely return to work and recovery during the 1-year follow-up. Analysis included Pearson correlation and multivariable Cox and logistic regression.

Results

At baseline, the PSFS correlated moderately (r range, 0.3−0.5) with other indicators of functional limitation (PDI, SF-36 role−physical subscale) but negligibly with the SF-36 mental health and role−emotional subscales. The PSFS was associated with timely recovery (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.27) with increasing functional limitation related to delayed recovery.

Conclusions

Results provide construct and predictive validity evidence for the PSFS as an indicator of functional limitation in workers' compensation claimants.

Key Words: Disabled persons, Musculoskeletal diseases, Psychometrics, Rehabilitation, Workers' compensation

List of Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval, FCE, Functional Capacity Evaluation, NDI, Neck Disability Index, ODI, Oswestry Disability Index, PDI, Pain Disability Index, PSFS, Patient-Specific Functional Scale, RCT, randomized controlled trial, RMDQ, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, SF-36, Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, VAS, visual analog scale, WBC Alberta, Workers' Compensation Board of Alberta

 

 Supported by the University of Alberta Department of Physical Therapy, Alberta Physical Therapy Association, and the Canada Research Chairs Program.No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.Published online June 5, 2008 at www.archives-pmr.org.

PII: S0003-9993(08)00214-1

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2007.11.040

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 7 , Pages 1294-1299, July 2008

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