Computer adaptive test performance in children with and without disabilities: prospective field study of the PEDI-CAT

Abstract

Purpose To examine the discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, administration time and acceptability of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDICAT). Method A sample of 102 parents of children three through 20 years of age with (n=50) and without (n=52) disabilities was recruited for this prospective field study. A sub-sample (n=25) also completed the PEDI-CAT a second time within one month. Parents completed 15 questions in each of the four PEDI-CAT domains (Daily Activities, Mobility, Social/Cognitive, Responsibility) using a laptop computer. Following completion, parents were asked four questions as part of a User Evaluation Survey. Results The PEDI-CAT was able to differentiate between groups of children with and without disabilities based on parent responses in all four domains. Test-retest reliability results were high (ICC=0.96 -0.99) for all four domains. The mean time to complete 60-items for the full sample (n=102) was 12.66 minutes (SD=4.47). Parents reported favorable reactions to the PEDI-CAT and were especially enthusiastic about the new Responsibility domain. Conclusions The PEDI-CAT offers a valid and reliable assessment acceptable to parents.

Mothers’ Experiences with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI)

“…One that was described by parents in the study by Dumas et al, (2012) is the occasional presentation of items that are either irrelevant or unsuitable with respect to the child's chronological age. Secondly, if consideration of a full set of functional skills is necessary for parents to gain the full appreciation of their child's abilities and the next steps for developmental progression, use of a reduced item set will restrict this understanding.…”

“…Further, it is important to consider the extensive work underway to validate the PEDI-CAT as an alternative to the paper-based PEDI Dumas et al, 2012;Haley et al, 2011). The creation of the PEDI-CAT was a response to concerns about PEDI completion time, the PEDI developers' desire to expand its content to include older children (i.e., up to 20 years old), and the widespread access to computers by clinicians and families.…”

“…The creation of the PEDI-CAT was a response to concerns about PEDI completion time, the PEDI developers' desire to expand its content to include older children (i.e., up to 20 years old), and the widespread access to computers by clinicians and families. The PEDI-CAT provides a short-list of computer-selected items (either the Speedy-CAT of 5 to 15 items per domain or the Content-balanced CAT of up to 30 items per domain) that are based on the responses as PEDI-CAT completion occurs Dumas et al, 2012;Haley et al, 2010;Haley et al, 2012). The PEDI's scoring focus has been altered in the PEDI-CAT such that Part I (Functional skills) has been shifted to a 4-level performance difficulty scale for each of the three domains (Daily Activities, Mobility and Social/Cognitive), and Part II (Caregiver assistance) has been recast as a Responsibility domain with a 5-level responsibility scale .…”

Physical Therapy for a Child Poststroke With a Left Ventricular Assist Device

“…Improvements on the PEDI-CAT Mobility exceeded the MDC, 19 as did the PBS 21 MDC reported for children with cerebral palsy. The PEDI-CAT T-score did not increase, but it was not anticipated that his mobility would be equal to his peers after only 4 weeks of intervention.…”

Self-reported Pediatric Measures of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Strength Impact for PROMIS

“…8,9,10 Pediatric self-report instruments, both traditional and CATs, are available to measure activity, defined as “the execution of speci?c tasks or actions by an individual” by The World Health Organization’s International Classi?cation of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). 11 Common examples of activity, performance and participation in pediatric physical therapy practice include the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and Preferences for Activities of Children (PAC), 12 and the Activities Scale for Kids – performance version (ASK-p).…”