The QIF was developed in 1980 to provide a functional assessment that would be useful in documenting the small but clinically significant gains made by quadriplegics throughout in-patient rehabilitation (Gresham et al. 1986). This index assesses transfers, grooming, bathing, feeding, dressing, wheelchair mobility, bed activities, bowel program, bladder program and understanding of personal care. The first 9 areas represent functional performance activities and the final area is a questionnaire - designed to assess the client’s understanding of skin care, nutrition, equipment medications and infections.

Number of items: 37

Procedure/Administration: Information is collected in an interview format. Scores are provided to give credit for being able to complete a portion of the task rather than the entire task.

How scored: Each category of functional performance is calculated according to weighted scores - Functional performance categories:  /180; Understanding of personal care: /20; Total:  200 /2 =  /100.  The functional performance categories are scored on a 5 point scale from 0 (dependent) to 4 (independent).

Interpretability: No information regarding interpretability of the scores (e.g.: norms or cut points) is provided.

Acceptability: The QIF was designed for the SCI population and specifically for individuals with tetraplegia. It has been tested on a total of 59 SCI subjects in two separate studies.

Languages: N/a

Usability: N/a

Time to administer:  Less than 30 minutes when the assessor is familiar with the measure.

Time to score: N/a

Training required: None

Availability: N/a

Equipment required: None

Summary: N/a

Psychometric Summary

Note: TR= Test re-test; IC= Internal Consistency; Inter-O= Inter-observer; Intra-O= Intra-observer; SS= Sensitivity/Specificity; N/a= No information.

Red light= A single study involving SCI subjects which has less than adequate findings of reliability, validity, and/or responsiveness.

Yellow light= A single study involving subjects with SCI which has adequate to excellent findings of reliability, validity, and/or responsiveness.

Green light= At least 2 studies involving subjects with SCI which have adequate to excellent findings of reliability, validity, and/or responsiveness.

References

• Gresham GE, Labi ML, Dittmar SS, Hicks JT, Joyce SZ, Stehlik MA. The Quadriplegia Index of Function (QIF): sensitivity and reliability demonstrated in a study of thirty quadriplegic patients. Paraplegia 1986;24:38-44
• Yavuz N, Tezyurek M, Akyuz M. A comparison of two functional tests in quadriplegia: the quadriplegia index of function and the functional independence measure. Spinal Cord 1998;36:832-837.