Testing the inter-rater reliability of the FAB score
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the inter-rater reliability of the Functional Assessment for Burns (FAB) score in adult burn inpatients
IRAS ID
319644
Contact name
Sarah Smailes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
The Functional Assessment for Burns (FAB) score is an instrument developed by therapists at St Andrew’s Burns Centre where it is currently used as standard protocol to measure the physical functional recovery and independence of adult burn inpatients. The aim of this research is to test the ability of the FAB score to collect accurate data when used by different therapists observing the same patient carrying out specific functional tasks (i.e. inter-rater reliability).
Burn survivors face numerous physical challenges (e.g. reduced range of motion, upper/lower limb impairments, pain, swelling and itching) that affect activities of daily living (e.g. feeding, hygienic self-care, dressing, getting in/out of bed, walking and stair climbing). Therapists work closely with patients to optimise their functional recovery in inpatients and the FAB score provides a tool to assess their ongoing rehabilitation needs, facilitates and provides clarity to the process of discharge planning, and assists in maintaining patients’ motivation.
It is important that measurements used in clinical practice are tested to make sure they are valid and reliable. The validity of the FAB score has previously been tested in burn patients (Smailes et al., 2013; Smailes et al., 2016), however its reliability when used by different therapists has yet to be assessed. A quantitative reliability study is therefore needed to test the inter-rater reliability of the FAB score. All patients admitted to the adult burns ward at St Andrew’s Burns Centre will be considered for recruitment to the study, excluding those that present with any of the FAB exclusion criteria or if they withhold consent.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0394
Date of REC Opinion
24 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion