Mark R Lafave1, Dale J Butterwick. 1. Department of Physical Education and Recreation Studies, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Athletic taping skills are highly valued clinical competencies in the athletic therapy and training profession. The Technical Skill Assessment Instrument (TSAI) has been content validated and tested for intrarater reliability. OBJECTIVE: To test the reliability of the TSAI using a more robust measure of reliability, generalizability theory, and to hypothetically and mathematically project the optimal number of raters and scenarios to reliably measure athletic taping skills in the future. SETTING: Mount Royal University. DESIGN: Observational study. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 29 university students (8 men, 21 women; age = 20.79 ± 1.59 years) from the Athletic Therapy Program at Mount Royal University. INTERVENTION(S): Participants were allowed 10 minutes per scenario to complete prophylactic taping for a standardized patient presenting with (1) a 4-week-old second-degree ankle sprain and (2) a thumb that had been hyperextended. Two raters judged student performance using the TSAI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Generalizability coefficients were calculated using variance scores for raters, participants, and scenarios. A decision study was calculated to project the optimal number of raters and scenarios to achieve acceptable levels of reliability. Generalizability coefficients were interpreted the same as other reliability coefficients, with 0 indicating no reliability and 1.0 indicating perfect reliability. RESULTS: The result of our study design (2 raters, 1 standardized patient, 2 scenarios) was a generalizability coefficient of 0.67. Decision study projects indicated that 4 scenarios were necessary to reliably measure athletic taping skills. CONCLUSIONS: We found moderate reliability coefficients. Researchers should include more scenarios to reliably measure athletic taping skills. They should also focus on the development of evidence-based practice guidelines and standards of athletic taping and should test those standards using a psychometrically sound instrument, such as the TSAI.
RCT Entities:
CONTEXT: Athletic taping skills are highly valued clinical competencies in the athletic therapy and training profession. The Technical Skill Assessment Instrument (TSAI) has been content validated and tested for intrarater reliability. OBJECTIVE: To test the reliability of the TSAI using a more robust measure of reliability, generalizability theory, and to hypothetically and mathematically project the optimal number of raters and scenarios to reliably measure athletic taping skills in the future. SETTING: Mount Royal University. DESIGN: Observational study. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 29 university students (8 men, 21 women; age = 20.79 ± 1.59 years) from the Athletic Therapy Program at Mount Royal University. INTERVENTION(S): Participants were allowed 10 minutes per scenario to complete prophylactic taping for a standardized patient presenting with (1) a 4-week-old second-degree ankle sprain and (2) a thumb that had been hyperextended. Two raters judged student performance using the TSAI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Generalizability coefficients were calculated using variance scores for raters, participants, and scenarios. A decision study was calculated to project the optimal number of raters and scenarios to achieve acceptable levels of reliability. Generalizability coefficients were interpreted the same as other reliability coefficients, with 0 indicating no reliability and 1.0 indicating perfect reliability. RESULTS: The result of our study design (2 raters, 1 standardized patient, 2 scenarios) was a generalizability coefficient of 0.67. Decision study projects indicated that 4 scenarios were necessary to reliably measure athletic taping skills. CONCLUSIONS: We found moderate reliability coefficients. Researchers should include more scenarios to reliably measure athletic taping skills. They should also focus on the development of evidence-based practice guidelines and standards of athletic taping and should test those standards using a psychometrically sound instrument, such as the TSAI.
Authors: Michael Kronenfeld; Priscilla L Stephenson; Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu; Elizabeth M Tweed; Eric L Sauers; Tamara C Valovich McLeod; Ruiling Guo; Henry Trahan; Kristine M Alpi; Beth Hill; Pamela Sherwill-Navarro; Margaret Peg Allen; Priscilla L Stephenson; Linda M Hartman; Judy Burnham; Dennis Fell; Michael Kronenfeld; Raymond Pavlick; Ellen W MacNaughton; Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu; Nan Bernstein Ratner Journal: J Med Libr Assoc Date: 2007-10