Development and testing of a self-report instrument to measure actions: outpatient physical therapy improvement in movement assessment log (OPTIMAL).

Background And Purpose: Physical therapy is faced with the challenge of producing evidence that physical therapy interventions are effective. The fundamental question confronting physical therapy is whether or not physical therapy interventions make a contribution to function, health, and well-being. The individual's ability to perform actions can serve as a theoretical construct related to movement and health around which physical therapy interventions can be assessed. To this end, the aims of this study were: (1) to develop a self-report instrument to assess ability to perform mobility actions in an adult outpatient population and (2) to assess the psychometric properties of such an instrument in the appropriate population.

Subjects And Methods: An instrument was developed to assess difficulty and confidence related to 24 actions. Descriptive statistics and measures of reliability, validity, and responsiveness were computed. A total of 391 patients participated in the study.

Results: The coefficient for reliability was in the required range, and measures of validity and responsiveness were established as well. Three factors were identified.

Discussion And Conclusion: The instrument provides the beginning of documentation of outcomes in movement to identify the unique contributions of physical therapist practice.