Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS) in an acute hospital setting. Intra-rater (n=15) and inter-rater (n=18) reliability were investigated using physiotherapists who viewed and scored video-recorded mobility assessments using the EMS on two occasions, one week apart. Latent class analysis of EMS scores showed that neither the occasion of testing (intra-rater reliability) (R2=0.0035, p=0.72), therapist (inter-rater reliability (R2=0.0051, p=1.00), years of experience (R2=0.0058, p=1.00) nor number of EMS assessments previously completed (R2=0.0048, p=1.00) had any impact on the EMS scores. The only factor which impacted on clustering was the EMS score (R2=0.8263, p=0.000). Concurrent validity was assessed by comparison with the Modified Rivermead Mobility Index (MRMI) in patients aged ≥ 55 years (n = 32) and demonstrated that EMS scores were highly correlated with the MRMI (Spearman’s ρ=0.887). Therefore intra-rater reliability of the EMS has been reported for the first time, and inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the EMS have been further supported and extended into a younger patient group for mobility assessment in acute hospital patients.
DOI
10.46743/1540-580X/2008.1213
Recommended Citation
Nolan JS, Remilton LE, Green MM. The Reliability and Validity of the Elderly Mobility Scale in the Acute Hospital Setting. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2008 Oct 01;6(4), Article 5.
