Intra-rater reliability

About: Intra-rater reliability is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2073 publications have been published within this topic receiving 140968 citations.

Performance Evaluation of Infrastructure Networks with Multistate Reliability Analysis

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present a multistate reliability approach to evaluate the performance of the infrastructure networks from the viewpoint of reliability. There are many infrastructure networks that follow the classical two-terminal network reliability problem. We present a relatively efficient algorithm to find a subset of lower boundary points and then use them to develop lower bounds on the reliability of the network. A supply chain network reliability example is given where the performance of the supply chain network is related to the lead time to meet the demands of the customer. We formulate this problem in terms of two-terminal network reliability with mutlistates where higher values of the states mean shorter lead times. The methodology can be used to evaluate design of supply chain networks. An example is given to evaluate two supply chain networks and their performances are compared using the proposed multistate reliability measures.

Intra‐rater reliability and smallest detectable change of compression sonoelastography in quantifying the material properties of the musculoskeletal system

Abstract: Musculoskeletal conditions can change tissue elasticity. Knowledge of musculoskeletal elasticity could therefore aid clinical diagnosis and management. Sonoelastography is an ultrasound-based system that examines the material properties of tissues, and it may be useful in musculoskeletal practice. Therefore, it is important to establish its clinimetric properties. This study aimed to explore the intra-rater reliability and the smallest detectable changes of sonoelastography in examining musculoskeletal structures. A quantitative reliability design was used to examine 22 healthy participants using a compression sonoelastography system that produces color-coded images. The deltoid, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius medius muscles, and Achilles tendon were examined twice at 1-hr intervals to assess the intra-rater reliability. The sonoelastography images were analyzed using the strain index, strain ratio, and color pixels. The intra-rater reliability and the smallest detectable changes of each outcome variable were determined. The intra-class correlation coefficient was used to quantify the repeatability of the measurements, and the smallest detectable changes were calculated to determine clinically important differences above the error of measurement. The intra-rater reliability for the strain index, strain ratio, and color pixel analysis ranged from moderate to excellent (intra-class correlation coefficients: .734-.950, .776-.921, and .754-.990, respectively), with color pixel analysis demonstrating the highest reliability. The smallest detectable changes were determined for all structures, including the Achilles tendon (0.11 for the higher boundary of the strain index, 1.80 for the strain ratio, and 2.90% for red pixels, representing soft tissues). Color pixel analysis may be more reliable for sonoelastography interpretation compared with the strain index and strain ratio. The calculated smallest detectable changes could be used to identify clinically important differences.

Quality assessment of fetal middle cerebral and umbilical artery Doppler images using an objective scale within an international randomized controlled trial

Abstract: Objectives To determine the quality of Doppler images of the fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and umbilical artery (UA) using an objective scale, and to determine the reliability of this scale, within a multicenter randomized controlled trial (Revealed versus concealed criteria for placental insufficiency in unselected obstetric population in late pregnancy (Ratio37)). Methods The Ratio37 trial is an ongoing randomized, open-label, multicenter controlled study of women with a low-risk pregnancy recruited at 20 weeks. Doppler measurements of the fetal MCA and UA were performed at 37 weeks. Twenty patients from each of the six participating centers were selected randomly, with two images evaluated per patient (one each for the MCA and UA). The quality of a total of 240 images was evaluated by six experts, scored on an objective scale of six items. Inter- and intrarater reliability was assessed using the Fleiss-modified kappa statistic for ordinal scales. Results On average, 89.2% of MCA images and 85.0% of UA images were rated as being of perfect (score of 6) or almost perfect (score of 5) quality. Kappa values for intrarater reliability of quality assessment were 0.90 (95% CI, 0.88-0.92) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.88-0.93) for the MCA and UA, respectively. The corresponding inter-rater reliability values were 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.89), respectively. Conclusion The quality of MCA and UA Doppler ultrasound images can be evaluated reliably using an objective scale. Over 85% of images, which were obtained by operators from a broad range of clinical practices within a multicenter study, were rated as being of perfect or almost perfect quality. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of quality assessment was very good. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intra-rater reliability of determining positions of cervical spinous processes and measuring their relative distances

Abstract: A reliable detection of bony landmarks of the spine is necessary in order to determine rigid bodies and to reduce the variability of marker placement in a movement laboratory setting. In a first study on the thoracic and lumbar spine, we demonstrated that placing markers on their relative positions between two major landmarks was superior to palpation of specific bony landmarks. The aims of this study were to examine the intra-rater reliability when palpating for spinous processes (SPs) of the second (C2) and seventh cervical vertebrae (C7), to determine the distances between C2 and C7 and the relative position of C7 along the length between C2 and the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) level. The intra-rater reliability in determining the distance between C2 and C7 was found to be substantial, with an intra-rater reliability of 0.75 (95% confidence limits 0.55–0.99) and a standard error of the measurement of 0.34 cm. The relative distance of C7 along the total C2–PSIS length was estimated to be 11.5%. The determination of the relative positions of spinal landmarks through measurement is considered superior to their palpation, because it relies on a reproducible and comparable definition of rigid bodies.