Reliability of Ratings on the Glasgow Outcome Scales From In-Person and Telephone Structured Interviews
By Pettigrew, Laura E. L., MSc; Wilson, J. T. Lindsay, PhD; Teasdale, Graham M., FRCP, FRCS; Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 252-258Publication Date: May/June 2003
Study conducted to determine test-retest reliability and interrater reliability for structured interviews with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) using in-person and telephone contact. The GOS is a global assessment of independent living and social reintegration that is used as an outcome measure in brain injury research. The assessment consists of five categories: (1) dead, (2) vegetative state, (3) severe disability, (4) moderate disability, and (5) good recovery. Information to assign one of these categories is usually collected via face-to-face contact or telephone interview with a client, a close family member, or another individual who has knowledge of the client’s status. Thirty people with head injuries were interviewed face-to-face and then re-interviewed via telephone a few days later by the same rater in the study’s first phase. In the second phase, 56 people with head injuries were interviewed first by telephone, while face-to-face interviews were carried out by a different person up to 1 month later. Comparison scores and findings indicated good test-retest and interrater reliability for the structured interviews. The authors ultimately found that a structured interview via telephone can provide a reliable assessment of the GOS, and can be safely substituted for in-person contact.
Published by: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins (Website:http://www.lww.com)
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J47424
