Psychometrically robust

Outcome measures for people with aphasia should be suitable to the construct being measured and psychometrically robust (reliable, valid and sensitive).

Reference: N/A
NHMRC level of Evidence: GPP

Rationale: Measuring changes in aphasia requires testing that is “reliable enough to give consistent measures; sensitive enough to measure the improvement that the particular therapy involved is intended to produce; and valid so that it measures changes that are of real consequence in the patients’ lives” (Howard & Hatfield, 1987, p. 113). Reliability, validity and responsiveness have widespread usage and are discussed as being essential to the evaluation of outcome measures (Salter, Teasell, Bhogal, Zettler, & Foley, 2012). Many outcome measures used within stroke rehabilitation have been assessed across these domains in the Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation (EBRSRS) relating to outcome measures http://ebrsr.com/uploads/Chapter-21-outcome-assessment-SREBR-15_1.pdf.

 References:

1. Howard, D., & Hatfield, M. (1987). Aphasia Therapy: historical and contemporary issues. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
2. Salter, K., Teasell, R., Bhogal, S., Zettler, L., & Foley, N. (2012). Aphasia. Evidence-based reviews of stroke rehabilitation.