Criteria for assessing the tools of disability outcomes research

To recommend instrument assessment criteria, deriving from psychometric textbooks and articles and disability and research experts, for reviewing and assessing surveys and questionnaires for disability outcomes research. Traditional criteria are recommended, including psychometric properties of validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change, as are newer statistical methods for assessing scaling properties, such as Rasch analysis. Special consideration is needed for generic instruments that may be poorly scaled for disability research. Pragmatic aspects of data collection, including acceptability and disability accommodation, also are recommended. (C) 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.