Affiliations: [a] Center for Research on Telehealth and Healthcare Communications, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA | [b] VA RR & D Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Gainesville, FL, USA | [c] Department of Behavioral Sciences and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA | [d] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA | [e] Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Robert L. Glueckauf, Center for Research on Telehealth and Healthcare Communications, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100165, Gainesville, FL 32610-0165, USA. Tel.: +1 352 265 0294; Fax: +1 352 265 0096; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective:To perform a preliminary evaluation of a questionnaire designed to assess functional outcomes of treatment for aphasia. Methods:The Functional Outcome Questionnaire for Aphasia (FOQ-A) is an inventory consisting of 32 caregiver-completed items rating the person with stroke's ability to perform various communication behaviors on a 5-point scale. The total score for the FOQ-A is reported as a mean of all completed items. The FOQ-A was administered by research assistants to caregivers of patients with left hemisphere stroke (n = 18). Results:The FOQ-A showed acceptable initial reliability and validity properties. As predicted, the FOQ-A displayed high positive correlations with standardized functional communication measures. The FOQ-A also showed only weak associations with other measures (health-related quality of life, caregiver strain). Conclusions:Overall results of our preliminary psychometric examination of the FOQ-A were promising. The findings suggested that the FOQ-A may be a sensitive measure of functional communication abilities and does not appear to be biased heavily by caregiver strain. Plans for further evaluation of the FOQ-A are discussed.
