Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of function in sitting test in acute stroke- a cross-sectional study

Background: Sitting balance is a valid predictor of functional recovery after stroke. Function in Sitting Test (FIST) is a performance based balance measure that aimed at comprehensive, specific, efficient and functional assessment of sitting balance, which has variety of steady state, proactive, and reactive postural control conditions which may describe and quantify sitting balance abilities to move and perform functional tasks in a seated position. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability for FIST in acute stroke subjects. Subjects: Twenty-six subjects with post-stroke duration of <3 weeks (15 male and 11 female with a mean age of 57.8 years) were recruited for the study. 2 testers (R1 and R2) rated subjects’ live performances of FIST. Rater 1 physical therapist with an average of 8 years of clinical experience in Neuro-rehabilitation and Rater 2 was a post graduate physical therapy student. Methods: All subjects carried out the FIST twice within 24 hour interval. Each subject was rated by 2 physical therapists in the first attempt for inter-rater comparison (Test 1) and by the R1 for intra-rater in the second attempt (Test 2). The reliability was calculated using the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, 2.1) using SPSS.16. Conclusion: Excellent ICC values (> 0.85) were found for FIST inTest 1 and Test 2. The Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for intra-rater reliability was found be excellent (ICC =0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-0.96) for inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.92).This results suggest that the FIST Test was found to have highinter-rater and intra-raterreliability for examination of individuals with post-acute stroke by physical therapists and physical therapy students.