Functional Abilities Confidence Scale: a clinical measure for injured workers with acute low back pain

School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Functional Abilities Confidence Scale (FACS) measures self-confidence concerning various movements and postures affected by low back pain (LBP). This article describes the scale's development, based on qualitative themes suggested by clinicians and patients, and its psychometric properties. SUBJECTS: People with work-related LBP injuries and clinicians from 8 different rehabilitation clinics participated in the study. METHODS: A group of 20 subjects completed the FACS twice, about 2 days apart, for assessment of test-retest reliability. The FACS was also administered, together with other measures, to a separate group of 94 subjects at clinic entry and at discharge or 3 weeks after clinic entry for validity testing. Clinicians rated each subject's physical abilities at each point. RESULTS: The FACS showed good psychometric properties (i.e., test-retest reliability, internal consistency, responsiveness to change, discriminant abilities, and convergent validity). CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: The FACS is a measure that has potential use in guiding therapists in determining a person's initial level of confidence and in monitoring progress during the rehabilitation process.

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