Article

Pediatric physical therapists assess the quantity and quality of
children's motor skills. Several quantitative motor tests are currently
available, but a concise measurement tool of observable movement quality (OMQ) is
lacking. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an OMQ measurement
tool for children from the perspective of pediatric physical therapists. DESIGN:
A qualitative, 3-phase study involving pediatric physical therapists was
conducted. METHODS: The first phase consisted of 7 semistructured interviews. The
second phase comprised a structured meeting using a nominal group technique, with
the interviewees required to identify the most relevant OMQ aspects. The third
phase comprised a Delphi technique involving 61 pediatric physical therapy
experts with the aim of achieving at least 80% agreement on relevance,
terminology, and definitions of OMQ aspects. RESULTS: Across all 3 phases, 32
aspects based on different theoretical constructs were considered. Fifteen
aspects were included in the measurement. The pediatric physical therapy experts
achieved at least 80% agreement on the definitions of 14 OMQ aspects: automated
movements, asymmetry in movements, variation in movements, appropriate gross
motor movements, fluency of movements, reduced muscle tone, increased muscle
tone, involuntary movements, accuracy, slow/delayed movements, accelerated/abrupt
movements, tremors, strength regulation, and stereotyped movements. The
definition of appropriate fine motor movements achieved 75% agreement. This
aspect was included because gross and fine motor movements are complementary. The
aspects were scored using a 5-point Likert scale, with a total score ranging from
15 to 75 and with a higher score indicating a better OMQ. CONCLUSION: The OMQ
scale, a concise measurement tool with 15 defined aspects, was developed. Content
validity was obtained, but before the OMQ scale can be used in clinical practice,
studies on reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness are needed.

Langue : ANGLAIS