Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research (RULER): the RULER Statement

Trudy Mallinson; Allan J Kozlowski; Mark V Johnston; Jennifer Weaver; Lauren Terhorst; Namrata Grampurohit; Shannon Juengst; Linda Ehrlich-Jones; Allen W Heinemann; John Melvin; Pallavi Sood; Ann Van de Winckel

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.013

Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research (RULER): the RULER Statement

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2022 Jul;103(7):1477-1486. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.013. Epub 2022 Apr 12.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
³ Department of Occupational Science and Technology, College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
⁴ Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC; Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
⁵ Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
⁶ Department of Occupational Therapy, Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia.
⁷ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Health Professions, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
⁸ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois.
⁹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
¹⁰ Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute of Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
¹¹ Division of Physical Therapy, Division of Rehabilitation Science, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Electronic address: avandewi@umn.edu.

PMID: 35421395
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.013

Abstract

The application of Rasch Measurement (RM) Theory to rehabilitation assessments has proliferated in recent years. RM Theory helps design and refine assessments so that items reflect a unidimensional construct in an equal interval metric that distinguishes among persons of different abilities in a manner that is consistent with the underlying trait. Rapid growth of RM in rehabilitation assessment studies has led to inconsistent results reporting. Clear, consistent, transparent reporting of RM Theory results is important for advancing rehabilitation science and practice based on precise measures. Precise measures, in turn, provide researchers, practitioners, patients, and other stakeholders with tools for effective decision making. The goal of this Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research (RULER: Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research) is to provide peer-reviewed, evidence-based, transparent, and consistent recommendations for reporting studies that apply RM Theory in a rehabilitation context. The purpose of the guideline is to ensure that authors, reviewers, and editors have uniform expectations about how to write and evaluate research on rehabilitation outcome assessments. A task force of rehabilitation researchers, clinicians, and editors met regularly between November 2018 and August 2020 to identify the need for the guideline, develop an organizing framework, identify content areas, and develop the recommendations. This RULER: Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research statement includes the organizing framework and a checklist of 59 recommendations. The guideline is supported by an Explanation and Elaboration article that provides more detail about the framework and recommendations in the checklist. A glossary of key terms and a recommended iterations table are provided in supplemental online only materials.

Keywords: Guideline; Outcome assessment, health care; Rehabilitation; Treatment outcome.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Advisory Committees
Checklist
Humans
Peer Review, Research*
Rehabilitation Research*
Research Design
Research Report