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The Rehabilitation Measures Database was developed to help clinicians and researchers identify reliable and valid instruments used to assess patient outcomes during all phases of rehabilitation. The database provides evidence-based summaries that include concise descriptions of each instrument’s psychometric properties, instructions for administering and scoring each assessment as well as a representative bibliography with citations linked to PubMed abstracts. Whenever possible, we have also included a copy of the instrument for the users to download or information about obtaining the instrument.
The development of this database was guided by focus groups composed of physical, occupational, and speech therapists, as well as psychologists and nurses with experience in rehabilitation medicine. Currently, we have reviewed nearly 300 instruments for use with a number of diagnosis including stroke, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury among several others.
The Rehabilitation Measures Database was developed through collaboration between the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR) at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the Department of Medical Social Sciences Informatics group at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (NU MSS) with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education (grant award H133B090024, PI: Allen Heinemann, PhD). Additional funding has been prodived by The Retirement Research Foundation (grant award #2011-027, PI: Linda Ehrlich-Jones, PhD, RN) and the Paralyzed Veterans of America Education Foundation (grant award #739, PI: Linda Ehrlich Jones, PhD, RN). The Rehabilitation Measures Database and its content were created by CROR. Database and website design was provided by NU MSS.
The Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research conducts a variety of research projects related to quantifying the outcomes of rehabilitation, in addition to providing various education and training opportunities. The Rehabilitation Measures Database was developed under the leadership of Allen Heinemann, PhD, the Director of the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research; Jennifer Moore PT, DHS, NCS, Project Director for the Rehabilitation Measures Database; Linda Ehrlich Jones PhD, RN; Jason Raad, PhD; and Jill Smiley, MPA.
Department of Medical Social Sciences Informatics group at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine focuses on health measurement, quality of life measures, outcomes science, and statistical tools to support clinical research. The NU MSS integrates biomedical and social science approaches to improvement of health and health care delivery in diverse populations across the lifespan. The development of the Rehabilitation Measures website was provided by Richard Gershon, PhD; Kathleen Swantek, MLIS; Dawood Ali, MS; and Michael Blackburn, MSIT.