Veteran-Centered Outcomes Using Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke

Ethnography, Psychometrics, Qualitative Research

The purpose of this study is to modify and develop measures that reflect outcomes that are relevant to recovering Veterans and are sensitive to improvements resulting from innovative gait interventions.

Existing clinically-generated measures, in general, have been developed independent of input from Veterans. The purpose of this collaborative study is to take advantage of qualitative and quantitative expertise from the Gainesville, Florida, Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center (RORC) with state-of-the-art gait intervention research being conducted at the Gainesville, Brain Rehabilitation Research Center (BRRC) and Cleveland, Functional Electrical Stimulation Center (FESC). Three interventions have received considerable attention for their demonstrated promise in improving gait and mobility in individuals with spinal cord injury and stroke; 1) manually assisted locomotor training (MLT), 2) robotic assisted locomotor training (RLT)and 3) functional electrical stimulation assisted gait training (FES-GT). These interventions will be the basis for improving existing outcome measures and developing new outcome measures. The process of developing and evaluating valid outcome measures requires four phases of development. This study encompasses Phases I and II. Phase I (Year 1 of grant)will involve completing qualitative research studies to identify constructs reflecting the impact of MLT, RLT and FES-GT on Veterans. Data will be systematically collected using ethnographic field observations and in depth, semi-structured interviews. Phase II (Year 2) will involve using the identified constructs to develop item banks for Veterans-centered outcome measures.

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United States