High inter-tester reliability of the new mobility score in patients with hip fracture.

Objective: To assess the inter-tester reliability of the New Mobility Score in patients with acute hip fracture.

Design: An inter-tester reliability study.

Subjects: Forty-eight consecutive patients with acute hip fracture at a median age of 84 (interquartile range, 76-89) years; 40 admitted from their own home and 8 from nursing homes to an acute orthopaedic hip fracture unit at a university hospital.

Methods: The New Mobility Score, which evaluates the prefracture functional level with a score from 0 (not able to walk at all) to 9 (fully independent), was assessed by 2 independent physiotherapists at the orthopaedic ward. Inter-tester reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC1.1) and the standard error of measurement (SEM).

Results: The ICC between the 2 physiotherapists was 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-0.99 and the SEM was 0.42, 95% CI -0.40-1.24 New Mobility Score points. No systematic between-rater bias was observed (p>0.05). Patients who were scored differently by the 2 physiotherapists had significantly lower mental scores (p=0.02).

Conclusion: The inter-tester reliability of the New Mobility Score is very high and can be recommended to evaluate the prefracture functional level in patients with acute hip fracture.