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How to measure what matters: development and application of guiding principles to select measurement instruments in an epidemiologic study on functioning

How to measure what matters: development and application of guiding principles to select measurement instruments in an epidemiologic study on functioning
How to measure what matters: development and application of guiding principles to select measurement instruments in an epidemiologic study on functioning
The purpose of this article was to describe and to apply a comprehensive set of guiding principles in the selection of measurement instruments for a longitudinal epidemiologic study focusing on functioning using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as reference framework. Based on the literature, the ICF linkage rules, and the definition of ICF categories to be measured, the following guiding principles for selecting measurement instruments are defined: redundancy, efficiency, level of detail of information, comparability, feasibility, and truth and discrimination. Examples illustrate that the application of guiding principles allows for a systematic and reasoned process of measurement instrument selection and thus offers a potential solution for the multifaceted challenges that one encounters in the selection of measurement instruments. It is transparently demonstrated how the ICF linkage rules enable researchers to address issues such as efficiency, comparability, and redundancy and how the definition of a set of ICF categories to be measured allows assessing inefficiencies in measurement instruments. Because of the ICF linkage rules and the definition of ICF categories to be measured, new guiding principles for selecting measurement instruments emerge. The main challenges lie in the difficulty to quantify and prioritize the applicability of guiding principles and the fact that they strongly interact. Notably, the prioritization and application of guiding principles must be defined considering the specific characteristics and aims of the specific study.
0894-9115
S29-S38
Fekete, Christine
981ef6e5-c184-41f1-bdf9-3af5e7dae58d
Boldt, Christine
35edcfef-6998-48de-88ed-3fddc0f1f986
Post, Marcel
312491f3-3c7d-42e2-9c53-63f677fb62b7
Eriks-Hoogland, Inge
4497e821-c6ef-411b-a4e3-801c0dc31d80
Cieza, Alarcos
a0df25c5-ee2c-4580-82b3-d0a75591580e
Stucki, Gerold
0534525c-103b-45be-b0a5-061d8867ef0d
Fekete, Christine
981ef6e5-c184-41f1-bdf9-3af5e7dae58d
Boldt, Christine
35edcfef-6998-48de-88ed-3fddc0f1f986
Post, Marcel
312491f3-3c7d-42e2-9c53-63f677fb62b7
Eriks-Hoogland, Inge
4497e821-c6ef-411b-a4e3-801c0dc31d80
Cieza, Alarcos
a0df25c5-ee2c-4580-82b3-d0a75591580e
Stucki, Gerold
0534525c-103b-45be-b0a5-061d8867ef0d

Fekete, Christine, Boldt, Christine, Post, Marcel, Eriks-Hoogland, Inge, Cieza, Alarcos and Stucki, Gerold (2011) How to measure what matters: development and application of guiding principles to select measurement instruments in an epidemiologic study on functioning. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 90 (11), supplement 2, S29-S38. (doi:10.1097/PHM.0b013e318230fe41). (PMID:21975674)

Record type: Article

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to describe and to apply a comprehensive set of guiding principles in the selection of measurement instruments for a longitudinal epidemiologic study focusing on functioning using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as reference framework. Based on the literature, the ICF linkage rules, and the definition of ICF categories to be measured, the following guiding principles for selecting measurement instruments are defined: redundancy, efficiency, level of detail of information, comparability, feasibility, and truth and discrimination. Examples illustrate that the application of guiding principles allows for a systematic and reasoned process of measurement instrument selection and thus offers a potential solution for the multifaceted challenges that one encounters in the selection of measurement instruments. It is transparently demonstrated how the ICF linkage rules enable researchers to address issues such as efficiency, comparability, and redundancy and how the definition of a set of ICF categories to be measured allows assessing inefficiencies in measurement instruments. Because of the ICF linkage rules and the definition of ICF categories to be measured, new guiding principles for selecting measurement instruments emerge. The main challenges lie in the difficulty to quantify and prioritize the applicability of guiding principles and the fact that they strongly interact. Notably, the prioritization and application of guiding principles must be defined considering the specific characteristics and aims of the specific study.

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More information

Published date: November 2011
Organisations: Psychology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 341016
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/341016
ISSN: 0894-9115
PURE UUID: eca3ba75-1b08-46ad-80d0-c405e8c8cee2

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Date deposited: 10 Jul 2012 13:23
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 11:33

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Contributors

Author: Christine Fekete
Author: Christine Boldt
Author: Marcel Post
Author: Inge Eriks-Hoogland
Author: Alarcos Cieza
Author: Gerold Stucki

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