Interrater reliability of the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale in a variety of health professional representatives

This study was performed to assess interrater reliability of the Japanese version of the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), which are simple and efficient assessment instruments of functional abilities in elderly patients. The subjects were 25 consecutive patients with Alzheimer's disease who were outpatients of the Department of Neuropsychiatry in Ehime University School of Medicine and their principal caregivers. One neuropsychiatrist administered the PSMS and IADL, and all sessions were videotaped. Then one clinical psychologist, one public health nurse and one neurologist, and one occupational therapist from another institution, viewed the videotape and performed reassessments. All interrater reliabilities between the neuropsychiatrist and the neurologist, the public health nurse, the clinical psychologist and the occupational therapist were extremely good. Interrater reliability between the public health nurse and the clinical psychologist, between the clinical psychologist and the neurologist and between the public health nurse and the neurologist was also extremely good. The PSMS and IADL showed good interrater reliability between personnel from different disciplines. They are likely to be useful tests far everyday medical consultations and for field research.