Inter-rater reliability of the Sodring Motor Evaluation of Stroke patients(SMES)

The Sodring Motor Evaluation of Stroke patients is an instrument for physio therapists to evaluate motor function and activities in stroke patients, Th e rating reflects quality as well as quantity of the patient's unassisted p erformance within three domains: leg, arm and gross function, The inter-rat er reliability of the method was studied in a sample of 30 patients admitte d to a stroke rehabilitation unit. Three therapists were involved in the st udy; two therapists assessed the same patient on two consecutive days in a balanced design. Cohen's weighted kappa and McNemar's test of symmetry were used as measures of item reliability, and the intraclass correlation coeff icient was used to express the reliability of the sumscores, For 24 out of 32 items the weighted kappa statistic was excellent (0.75-0.98), while 7 it ems had a kappa statistic within the range 0.53-0.74 (fair to good). The re liability of one item was poor (0.13). The intraclass correlation coefficie nt for the three sumscores was 0.97, 0.91 and 0.97. We conclude that the So dring Motor Evaluation of Stroke patients is a reliable measure of motor fu nction in stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.