Sensitivity of Shah, Vanclay and Cooper's modified Barthel Index

Objective: To investigate whether Shah, Vanclay and Cooper's modification o f the Barthel Index improved its sensitivity to change. Design: Correlational study. Setting: School of Occupational Therapy at Auckland Institute of Technology , Auckland, New Zealand, Subjects: One hundred subjects requiring rehabilitation following a stroke. Main outcome measures: Change in function which was measured using Shah, Va nclay and Cooper's (1989) modified Barthel index and walking speed over 10 metres, Results: Five statistical analyses were undertaken, none of which demonstra ted clear superiority of one measure over the other. Conclusions: The study did not indicate the modified Barthel Index to be mo re sensitive to change than the 20-point Barthel Index for this population. The statistical analysis strategies utilized are recommended for similar s tudies.