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

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

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-12-2022

Journal

Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation

DOI

10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.013

Keywords

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

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.

Department

Clinical Research and Leadership

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