Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometric properties of the Northwick Park
Dependency Scale (NPDS). DESIGN: Review of existing literature and psychometric
analysis in relation to other standardized measures of disability in a large
neurorehabilitation cohort. SETTING: A regional post-acute specialist inpatient
neurorehabilitation unit in London, UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 569 inpatients
with complex neurological disabilities (350 males, 219 females; mean age 44.4
years). MAIN MEASURES: The NPDS, Barthel Index, Functional Independence and
Functional Assessment measures. RESULTS: A database search found 5 studies that
examined the psychometrics of the NPDS. These supported its validity and
reliability. The present study added to these by evaluating the internal
consistency, factor structure, discriminatory power and responsiveness to change
during rehabilitation. The NPDS was found to have good internal consistency
(alpha = 0.90), suggesting that it can reasonably be summed to a single total
score. It discriminated among people with different levels of dependency and was
responsive to change, particularly in the higher dependency groups. CONCLUSION:
The NPDS is a psychometrically robust tool, providing a broader range of
information on nursing needs than some other commonly-used disability measures.
The Special Nursing Needs subscale provides clinically useful information, but
its metric properties require further development, which is now underway.

Langue : ANGLAIS