GMFCS
Test of reliability of the Danish version of the GMFCS - Gross Motor Function Classification System
By: Käte Bennedbæk, Ann Boeng and Kristina Møller
Supervisor: Dev.Pt. Jette Christensen, M.Sc.
Contact:
Ann BoengBackground: The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) was in 2005 translated into Danish and shown to have substantial content- and facevalidity. The GMFCS is a system used to classify gross motor function in children aged 0-12 years with cerebral palsy (CP).
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-observer-reliability of the GMFCS in a clinical trial. We furthermore wanted to give our subjective evaluation of whether the GMFCS was fast and easy to use in a clinical trial.
Material and method: Two blinded physical therapists classified a total of 42 children with CP within the age bands of 2-4 years and 4-6 years. The classifications were done over the course of four days based on observations in the children’s institutions. The study was designed as an inter-observer-study and data was analyzed with weighed kappa (kw).
Results: Agreement was substantial in both age bands. For the age band 2-4 years (kw) 0,74, and for the age band 4-6 year (kw) 0,71. The combined result for the two age bands was also calculated and was (kw) 0,73. Our subjective evaluation is that it is fast and easy to classify children with CP in the age bands of 2-4 years and 4-6 years, based on the fact that none of the classifications took more than 15 minutes.
Conclusion: Two physical therapists can fast and easily classify the gross motor function level with substantial agreement based on observations using the Danish version of the GMFCS.
Perspective: With the Danish version of the GMFCS one can now give reliable classifications of children with CP. This is decisive for future communication and planning between professionals and the families of children with CP. Furthermore the GMFCS could turn out to be useful in indicating which level of gross motor function the child with CP can expect to reach.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, GMFCS, inter-observer-reliability, reliability, classification
Redigeret af : Fysio.dk, 30.06.2009
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