Inter- and Intra-Observer Reliability of the Iowa Level of Assistance Scale and the Effect of Staff Retraining

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

staff training: A structured training session will be provided to all participating physiotherapists to review the content of the ILoA scale and standardize administration procedures. The training will be delivered by IOR-employed physiotherapists with documented experience in orthopedic patient assessment and in the use of the ILoA scale. For each scale item, potential sources of uncertainty and specific clinical scenarios will be discussed.

Study summary

The aim of this study is to evaluate, in routine clinical practice, the inter- and intra-observer reliability of the Iowa Level of Assistance (ILoA) scale, which is regularly used to assess functional recovery in orthopedic patients. A secondary objective is to investigate the impact of a structured retraining program for healthcare staff on the use of the ILoA scale and to determine whether this intervention influences the reliability indices of the scale.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Inter- and Intra-Observer Reliability of the Iowa Level of Assistance (ILoA) Scale — Baseline (pre-training) and within 6 months after completion of staff training.
  The Iowa Level of Assistance (ILoA) scale assesses five functional activities: moving to a sitting position, static standing, walking, stair negotiation, and gait speed. For each activity, a score is assigned based on the level of assistance provided, ranging from 0 (independent) to 6 (activity not performed), and on the type of assistive device used, ranging from 0 (no device) to 5 (use of a walker). The total ILoA score ranges from 0 (minimal assistance) to 50 (maximal assistance). The primary outcome of this study is the inter- and intra-observer reliability of the ILoA scale. Inter-observer reliability will be defined as the level of agreement between different observers assessing the same patient under identical clinical conditions, while intra-observer reliability will be defined as the level of agreement between repeated assessments performed by the same observer on the same patient.

Trial sites (1)

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