Reliability and concurrent validity of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III among rehabilitation professionals

This study examines if different rehabilitation professionals can reliably use the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM III) to assess individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The study also checks if the SCIM III results align with other standard measures of physical ability. The study found that after training, nurses, occupational therapists, and physical therapists can use the SCIM III consistently. The SCIM III scores also correlated with standard measures of muscle strength, balance, and endurance. The ability for different professionals to use the SCIM III interchangeably is especially useful in community and home healthcare settings. It is also useful when hospital services are limited.

• 1
  The SCIM III demonstrated excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability among rehabilitation professionals for overall items and subscales.
• 2
  Total SCIM III scores of wheelchair users significantly correlated with standard measures for muscle strength, limit of stability, balance control, and functional endurance.
• 3
  Mobility scores of ambulatory participants showed significant correlation with standard measures for muscle strength, balance control, functional endurance, and walking ability.