Test-Retest Reliability and Agreement of the Work Ability Index-Single Item in Persons With Physical Disabilities

Renée van Dinter; Annemarie C Jenks; Ellen H Roels; Marcel W M Post; Michiel F Reneman

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2024.10.018

Test-Retest Reliability and Agreement of the Work Ability Index-Single Item in Persons With Physical Disabilities

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Nov 20:S0003-9993(24)01350-9. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2024.10.018. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Renée van Dinter¹, Annemarie C Jenks², Ellen H Roels³, Marcel W M Post⁴, Michiel F Reneman²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Center for Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
³ Center for Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Center for Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

PMID: 39571742
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2024.10.018

Abstract

Objective: To assess the test-retest reliability and agreement of the work ability index-single item (WAS) in persons with a physical disability.

Design: Test-retest study, with a 2-4 week interval. Test-retest reliability was computed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The agreement was analyzed using Bland-Altman plots.

Setting: Vocational rehabilitation department of a rehabilitation center.

Participants: Patients with a physical disability (spinal cord injury, acquired brain injury, neuromuscular disease, or other).

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: The WAS consists of 1 question on self-reported current work ability compared with their highest work ability ever, rated on a 0-10 scale.

Results: Data from 44 patients were available and 22 patients reported no changes in work or medical situation between the 2 measurements. After excluding 1 outlier in this subgroup (n=21), the ICC was 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.96), the mean test-retest difference was -0.05 points and the limits of agreement were ±2.4 points.

Conclusions: The WAS is reliable for measuring work ability in persons with a physical disability. Using the WAS could be valuable as a routine outcome measure in vocational rehabilitation for persons with a physical disability.

Keywords: Rehabilitation; Test-retest reliability; Vocational rehabilitation; Work.