The Ghent Participation Scale appears to be a valid and reliable method of assessing participation irrespective of the respondent's health condition. The Ghent Participation Scale is responsive and is able to detect changes over time.
LAY ABSTRACTParticipation is defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as "involvement in a life situation"'. For this concept to be used in rehabilitation, some issues require clarification. When aiming to use this concept and to measure participation it is necessary: (i) to define the context (home, school, work, community, etc.) in which the patient (child, adult or older person) wants to participate; (ii) to make clear in what dimension exactly one wants to measure participation: the frequency, the limitations, the subjective appraisal of activities, or combinations of these; and (iii) to be aware of the level of power and autonomy the patient aims for in performing activities: from being informed about the activity to being involved in decisionmaking. Based on the results of this study, a more informed choice could be made about which measurement instrument to use. However, a clear single agreement on the concept of participation will foster clinical practice and action is required to reach consensus.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.