The QIF – SF was developed to provide a sensitive global functional scale for measuring gains in individuals with tetraplegia during rehabilitation. Items include: wash/dry hair, turn supine to side in bed, lower extremity dressing, open carton/jar, transfer from bed to wheelchair and lock wheelchair. These items were selected from five of the functional performance categories of self-care and mobility on the QIF in order to reduce item redundancies of the original 37-item version. 

Number of items: 6

Procedure/Administration: Information is collected in interview format. It is scored on a 5 point scale from 0 (dependent) to 4 (independent). 

How scored: Scores from the 6 items are summed and scores range from 0 to 24.

Interpretability: Higher scores indicate greater independence in key ADLs. Ceiling effects may be plausible for individuals with lower level injuries.

Acceptability: The QIF – Short Form is designed specifically for SCI population.

Languages: N/a

Usability: N/a

Time to administer: 4-6 minutes

Time to score: N/a

Training required: N/a

Availability: N/a

Equipment required: N/a

Summary:

• The QIF – Short Form is more practical to use than the original QIF as the number of items have been reduced.

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

• Marino RJ, Goin JE. Development of a short-form Quadriplegia Index of Function scale. Spinal Cord 1999;37:289-296.