Using Outcome Measures in Daily Practice: Development and Evaluation of an Implementation Strategy for Physiotherapists in the Netherlands.

Purpose: To describe the development of an educational programme for physiotherapists in the Netherlands, two toolkits of measurement instruments, and the evaluation of an implementation strategy.

Method: The study used a controlled pre- and post-measurement design. A tailored educational programme for the use of outcome measures was developed that consisted of four training sessions and two toolkits of measurement instruments.

The burden of neck pain: its meaning for persons with neck pain and healthcare providers, explored by concept mapping.

Purpose: To empirically define the concept of burden of neck pain. The lack of a clear understanding of this construct from the perspective of persons with neck pain and care providers hampers adequate measurement of this burden. An additional aim was to compare the conceptual model obtained with the frequently used Neck Disability Index (NDI).

Normal values for cervical range of motion.

Study Design: Cohort study.

Objective: To generate normal values for active range of motion (ACROM) of the cervical spine in asymptomatic persons.

Summary Of Background Data: There is a lack of normal values for ACROM based on large groups and stratified for different age categories.

Current use and barriers and facilitators for implementation of standardised measures in physical therapy in the Netherlands.

Background: In many countries, the need for physical therapists to use standardised measures has been recognised and is recommended in clinical practice guidelines. Research has shown a lack of clinimetric knowledge and clinical application of measurement instruments in daily practice may hamper implementation of these guidelines.

Objectives: The aims of our study were a) to investigate the current use of measurement instruments by Dutch physical therapists; b) to investigate the facilitators and barriers in using measurement instruments.

Construct validity of instruments measuring impairments in body structures and function in rheumatic disorders: which constructs are selected for validation? A systematic review.

Purpose: This paper focuses on the construct validity of instruments measuring impairments in body structures and function in rheumatic disorders. The objective is: 1) to make an inventory of constructs, based on the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health problems (ICF), against which instruments measuring impairments in body structures and function were validated; 2) to analyse whether validation against a similar construct resulted in higher correlation coefficients than validation against a dissimilar construct.

Methods: In a systematic review papers were identified in which instruments measuring impairments in body structures and function for patients with rheumatic disorders were validated.