Inter-rater reliability of the ability for basic movement scale II-w: a revised clinical mobility scale adding a walking item

Abstract

Objective To verify the inter-rater reliability of the Ability for Basic Movement Scale II-w (ABMS II-w), a revised version of the Ability for Basic Movement Scale II that incorporates a walking assessment item. Design Cross-sectional reliability study. Setting: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at a university hospital. Subjects: Fifty patients were enrolled, and 49 were included in the final analysis. Intervention: Not applicable (observational study). Main measures: Patients were evaluated by two independent physical therapists using the newly developed ABMS II-w. The scale includes a walking item (based on a 50-yard criterion) in addition to the original five basic mobility items. Results High inter-rater reliability was demonstrated for the overall ABMS II-w total score (ICC=0.92; 95% CI 0.86–0.95). Furthermore, the newly incorporated walking item exhibited almost perfect agreement (quadratic weighted kappa=0.99; 95% CI 0.97–1.00), and all individual items maintained substantial to almost perfect inter-rater reliability. Conclusions The ABMS II-w possesses exceptionally high inter-rater reliability. By extending the evaluation scope beyond standing balance to include functional walking, it provides a seamless and practical tool for clinical rehabilitation medicine.