The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS): application and psychometric analysis in a post-COVID-19 syndrome cohort, 2021, O'Connor et al

Abstract

Background
As our understanding of the nature and prevalence of Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is increasing, a measure of the impact of COVID-19 could provide valuable insights into patients’ perceptions in clinical trials and epidemiological studies as well as routine clinical practice.

Objective
To evaluate the clinical usefulness and psychometric properties of the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) in patients with PCS.

Design
A prospective, observational study of 187 consecutive patients attending a post-COVID-19 rehabilitation clinic. The C19-YRS was used to record patients’ symptoms, functioning and disability. A global health question was used to measure the overall impact of PCS on health. Classical psychometric methods (data quality, scaling assumptions, targeting, reliability and validity) were used to assess the C19-YRS.

Results
For the total group, missing data were low, scaling and targeting assumptions were satisfied, and internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.891). Relationships between overall perception of health and patients’ reports of symptoms, functioning and disability demonstrated good concordance.

Conclusions
This is the first study to examine the psychometric properties of an outcome measure in patients with PCS. In this sample of patients, the C19-YRS was clinically useful and satisfied standard psychometric criteria, providing preliminary evidence of its suitability as a measure of PCS.

Open access, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.27415

 

Wow, so you can have people answer a bunch of questionnaires. Fascinating. Truly groundbreaking stuff. How do they go from to that asserting that one such questionnaire must be "clinically useful" is just as fascinating.

 

Does the scale apply to those who are not 19 and in Yorkshire?

 

Yes it uses a global question:

"Ye awright luv?" Aye/Nay (delete as appropriate luv)