Reliability of the relative's questionnaire for assessment of outcome after brain injury

• Published in: Disability and rehabilitation Vol. 22; no. 10; pp. 446 - 450
• Main Authors: Hellawell, Deborah J., Pentland, Brian, Signorini, David F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 10-07-2000; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Brain Injuries - rehabilitation; Caregivers; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0963-8288; 1464-5165
• DOI: 10.1080/09638280050045910

Purpose : The relative's questionnaire (RQ) was developed to assess outcome after brain injury. The present study investigated its test-retest reliability when used in a postal survey. Method : Hospital records were used to identify and contact 288 surviving patients treated for brain injury five to seven years earlier. Patients were sent a copy of the RQ (RQ1) and one month later a second copy (RQ2) was sent to those who returned RQ1. Result : Two hundred and eleven patients were successfully contacted, of whom 128 (61%) returned RQ1, and 94 of these (73%) returned RQ2. The reliability of items was variable, with most having a kappa value of < 0.6 suggesting 'substantial agreement' or better. Conclusion : The data presented suggest that the RQ is a reliable instrument in collecting outcome information in brain-injured patients by postal survey. Further research is recommended to test the suitability of the RQ for the use as a telephone interview.