The power of outcomes: FOTO Industrial Outcomes Tool -- Initial assessment

Article type: Research Article

Authors: D.L. Hart,

Affiliations: Focus On Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc., 551 Yopps Cove Road, White Stone, VA 22578, USA. Tel.: +1 804 436 9727; Fax: +1 804 436 9328; E-mail: dhart98814@aol.com

Abstract: {\it Objective.} To demonstrate how outcomes assessment can assist in describing clients receiving rehabilitation in occupational health rehabilitation clinics and to describe the preliminary assessment of internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the FOTO Industrial Outcomes Tool. {\it Methods.} 266 adults referred for acute work rehabilitation (AWR), work conditioning/hardening (WC/WH) or a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) comprised the data set. Clients were treated between July 1998 and January 1999 in 15 clinics from 6 states by 46 clinicians participating in the Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes (FOTO) national rehabilitation database beta test. For AWR and WC/WH, clients completed a health status questionnaire on intake and discharge, and health status was assessed prior to the FCE. Comprehensive demographic data were collected describing the clinics, clinicians, clients and work status collected 2 weeks following discharge. {\it Results.} Internal consistency reliability coefficients for the health status scores ranged from 0.57 to 0.89. Construct validity was supported. {\it Conclusion.} Results demonstrate the power of collecting outcomes from a variety of constructs for clients receiving industrial rehabilitation services. Initial reliability and construct validity findings were adequate and support continuing data analyses.

Keywords: health status, outcomes research, health-related quality of life, functional abilities, functional capacity evaluations, work conditioning, work hardening, return to work, acute work rehabilitation

Journal: Work, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 39-51, 2001