Reporting Guideline for RULER: Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research: Explanation and Elaboration

Ann Van de Winckel, Division of Physical Therapy, Division of Rehabilitation Science, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Electronic address: avandewi@umn.edu.
Allan J. Kozlowski, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University - College of Human Medicine and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI.
Mark V. Johnston, Professor Emeritus, Department of Occupational Science & Technology, College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI.
Jennifer Weaver, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, DC; Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Namrata Grampurohit, Department of Occupational Therapy, Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
Lauren Terhorst, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Shannon Juengst, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Health Professions, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
Linda Ehrlich-Jones, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois.
Allen W. Heinemann, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois.
John Melvin, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
Pallavi Sood, Department of Aging & Geriatric Research, Institute of Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Trudy Mallinson, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, DC.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-15-2022

Journal

Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation

DOI

10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.019

Keywords

Guideline; Outcome assessment, health care; Rehabilitation; Treatment outcome

Abstract

The Rasch Reporting Guideline for Rehabilitation Research (RULER) provides peer-reviewed, evidence-based, transparent, and consistent recommendations for reporting studies that apply Rasch Measurement (RM) Theory in a rehabilitation context. The purpose of the guideline is to ensure that authors, reviewers, and editors have uniform guidance about how to write and evaluate research on rehabilitation outcome assessments. The RULER statement includes an organizing framework and a checklist of 59 recommendations. This companion article supports the RULER statement by providing details about the framework, rationale for the domains and recommendations in the checklist and explaining why these considerations are important for improving consistency and transparency in reporting the results of RM studies. This article is not intended to describe how to conduct RM studies but provides rationale for the essential elements that authors should address in each domain. Consistency and transparency in reporting RM studies will advance rehabilitation research if authors consider these issues when planning their study and include the checklist when they submit their manuscript for peer review. A copy of the checklist can be found at [table 2 in https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.013].

Department

Clinical Research and Leadership

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