Content Validition and Psychometric Evaluation of the Self-efficacy and Performance in Self-management Support Instrument for Physiotherapists.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and psychometrically test the Self-Efficacy and Performance in Self-Management Support instrument for physiotherapists (SEPSS-PT), based on the SEPSS-36, the corresponding instrument for nurses. DESIGN: Instrument development including content validation and psychometric evaluation (construct validity, factor structure, and reliability). SETTING: Data were collected from literature, expertmeetings, and online questionnaire PARTICIPANTS: Next to a comprehensive literature study, experts (self-management experts (n=2); physiotherapists (n=10); patients (n=6)) and physiotherapists and physiotherapy students (n=334), participated in different stages of the study. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Not applicable. A literature study (n=42 reviews) and consultations with physiotherapists and patients identified the specific content for physiotherapy. The Five-A's model and overarching competencies of "supportive partnership attitude", were used to structure the items. Psychometric evaluation of the draft questionnaire (40 items) was tested in a sample of 334 physiotherapists and physiotherapy students from the Netherlands, of whom 33 filled out the questionnaire twice to establish the test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed satisfactory fit indices for both the 6-factor model and hierarchical model, with best fit for the 6-factor model. The questionnaire discriminated between physiotherapists and physiotherapy students, and between physiotherapists who did or did not consider self-management support important. The overall internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was high, both for the self-efficacy and the performance items. In most of the subscales, test-retest intra-class correlation coefficients for both overall self-efficacy and performance were good, but in 3 subscales insufficient for performance. CONCLUSION: The SEPSS-PT questionnaire is a 40-item, Likert-scaled instrument with good content and construct validity, good internal consistency and reliability, and sufficient test-retest reliability. Future research in a larger and more diverse sample could confirm stability and discriminating power.

Effects of circuit training as alternative to usual physiotherapy after stroke: randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the effect of task oriented circuit training compared with usual physiotherapy in terms of self reported walking competency for patients with stroke discharged from a rehabilitation centre to their own home. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial with follow-up to 24 weeks. SETTING: Multicentre trial in nine outpatient rehabilitation centres in the Netherlands PARTICIPANTS: Patients with stroke who were able to walk a minimum of 10 m without physical assistance and were discharged from inpatient rehabilitation to an outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Patients were randomly allocated to circuit training or usual physiotherapy, after stratification by rehabilitation centre, with an online randomisation procedure. INTERVENTION: Patients in the intervention group received circuit training in 90 minute sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. The training included eight different workstations in a gym and was intended to improve performance in tasks relating to walking competency. The control group received usual outpatient physiotherapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the mobility domain of the stroke impact scale (SIS, version 3.0). Secondary outcomes were standing balance, self reported abilities, gait speed, walking distance, stair climbing, instrumental activities of daily living, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Differences between groups were analysed according to the intention to treat principle. All outcomes were assessed by blinded observers in a repeated measurement design lasting 24 weeks. RESULTS: 126 patients were included in the circuit training group and 124 in the usual care group (control), with data from 125 and 117, respectively, available for analysis. One patient from the circuit training group and seven from the control group dropped out. Circuit training was a safe intervention, and no serious adverse events were reported. There were no significant differences between groups for the stroke impact scale mobility domain (ß=0.05 (SE 0.68), P=0.943) at 12 weeks. Circuit training was associated with significantly higher scores in terms of gait speed (0.09 m/s (SE 0.02), P<0.001), walking distance (20.0 m (SE 7.4), P=0.007), and modified stairs test (-1.6 s (SE 0.7), P=0.015). There were no significant differences between groups for the other secondary outcomes, except for the leisure domain of the Nottingham extended activities of daily living and the memory and thinking domain of the stroke impact scale. With the exception of gait speed (-0.04 m/s (SE 0.02), P=0.040), there were no significant differences between groups at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Task oriented circuit training can safely replace usual physiotherapy for patients with stroke who are discharged from inpatient rehabilitation to the community and need further training in gait and gait related activities as an outpatient. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register (NTR1534).

Is outdoor use of the six-minute walk test with a global positioning system in stroke patients' own neighbourhoods reproducible and valid?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reproducibility, responsiveness and concurrent validity of the six-minute walk test (6MWT) when tested outdoors in patients' own neighbourhoods using a global positioning system (GPS) or a measuring wheel. METHODS: A total of 27 chronic stroke patients, discharged to their own homes, were tested twice, within 5 consecutive days. The 6MWT was conducted using a GPS and an measuring wheel simultaneously to determine walking distance. Reproducibility was determined as test-retest reliability and agreement, using the intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement and Bland & Altman plots. Responsiveness was expressed as the smallest real difference and visualized in Bland & Altman plots. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to study concurrent validity between the GPS and measuring wheel. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficiens were 0.96 for the GPS and 0.98 for the measuring wheel, and standard error of measurement scores were 11.9 m for the measuring wheel and 18.1 m for the GPS, resulting in smallest real differences of 33.0 m and 50.2 m, respectively. Concurrent validity was strong (r = 0.99). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the outdoor 6MWT using a GPS or measuring wheel is reproducible, responsive and concurrently valid. This suggests that therapists working in the community can use the outdoor 6MWT as a reliable, responsive and valid test.

Cost-effectiveness of a structured progressive task-oriented circuit class training programme to enhance walking competency after stroke: the protocol of the FIT-Stroke trial.

BACKGROUND: Most patients who suffer a stroke experience reduced walking competency and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A key factor in effective stroke rehabilitation is intensive, task-specific training. Recent studies suggest that intensive, patient-tailored training can be organized as a circuit with a series of task-oriented workstations. Primary aim of the FIT-Stroke trial is to evaluate the effects and cost-effectiveness of a structured, progressive task-oriented circuit class training (CCT) programme, compared to usual physiotherapeutic care during outpatient rehabilitation in a rehabilitation centre. The task-oriented CCT will be applied in groups of 4 to 6 patients. Outcome will be defined in terms of gait and gait-related ADLs after stroke. The trial will also investigate the generalizability of treatment effects of task-oriented CCT in terms of perceived fatigue, anxiety, depression and perceived HRQoL. METHODS/DESIGN: The multicentre single-blinded randomized trial will include 220 stroke patients discharged to the community from inpatient rehabilitation, who are able to communicate and walk at least 10 m without physical, hands-on assistance. After discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, patients in the experimental group will receive task-oriented CCT two times a week for 12 weeks at the physiotherapy department of the rehabilitation centre. Control group patients will receive usual individual, face-to-face, physiotherapy. Costs will be evaluated by having each patient keep a cost diary for the first 24 weeks after randomisation. Primary outcomes are the mobility part of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS-3.0) and the EuroQol. Secondary outcomes are the other domains of SIS-3.0, lower limb muscle strength, walking endurance, gait speed, balance, confidence not to fall, instrumental ADL, fatigue, anxiety, depression and HRQoL. DISCUSSION: Based on assumptions about the effect of intensity of practice and specificity of treatment effects, FIT-Stroke will address two key aims. The first aim is to investigate the effects of task-oriented CCT on walking competency and HRQoL compared to usual face-to-face physiotherapy. The second aim is to reveal the cost-effectiveness of task-oriented CCT in the first 6 months post stroke. Both aims were recently recommended as priorities by the American Hearth Association and Stroke Council.

Effects of task-oriented circuit class training on walking competency after stroke: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is increasing interest in the potential benefits of circuit class training after stroke, but its effectiveness is uncertain. Our aim was to systematically review randomized, controlled trials of task-oriented circuit class training on gait and gait-related activities in patients with stroke. METHODS: A computer-aided literature search was performed to identify randomized, controlled trials in which the experimental group received task-oriented circuit class training focusing on the lower limb. Studies published up to March 2008 were included. The methodological quality of each study was assessed and studies with the same outcome variable were pooled by calculating the summary effect sizes using fixed or random effects models. RESULTS: Six of the 445 studies screened, comprising 307 participants, were included. Physiotherapy Evidence Database scores ranged from 4 to 8 points with a median of 7.5 points. The meta-analysis demonstrated significant homogeneous summary effect sizes in favor of task-oriented circuit class training for walking distance (0.43; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.68; P<0.001), gait speed (0.35; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.62; P=0.012), and a timed up-and-go test (0.26; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.51; P=0.047). Nonsignificant summary effect sizes in favor of task-oriented circuit class training were found for the step test and balance control. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis supports the use of task-oriented circuit class training to improve gait and gait-related activities in patients with chronic stroke. Further research is needed to investigate the cost-effectiveness and its effects in the subacute phase after stroke, taking comorbidity into account, and to investigate how to help people maintain and improve their physical abilities after their rehabilitation program ends.