Christopher Morris
Who best to make the assessment? Professionals' and families' classifications of gross motor function in cerebral palsy are highly consistent
University of Oxford
baimb determine reliability family assessment gross motor function classification system gmfcs children cerebral palsy uk bmethodsb families complete geographically defined population children cerebral palsy 6 12 years old identified i4childi epidemiological database postal surveys conducted families childs health professionals nominated families bresultsb families 129314 eligible children took part study 41 indices agreement reliability families professionals also equivalent observed professionals 05 icc 09 reliability coefficients higher professionals classified children using direct observation rather reviewing clinical records bconclusionsb despite excellent reliability families professionals always agree exactly childs gmfcs level classifications may differ due childrens varying performance different environments case families almost certainly know childrens ability broader range settings indices reliability family assessment gmfcs meet recommended criteria use individuals groups indicating method suitable use research studies clinical practice