Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to develop a new assessment scale, the “Seirei Oozora Ryoiku Center Clinical Respiratory Care Necessity Assessment Scale for Patients with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities (S-CARES),” to conveniently and comprehensively evaluate the respiratory function of patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID), and to examine its reliability and validity.
Methods: This study included 103 SMID patients. The S-CARES was used to assess respiratory function by evaluating physical function, respiratory status, and the necessity for respiratory care. The reliability and validity of the scale were also evaluated.
Results: S-CARES showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.898) and inter-rater reliability (weighted kappa coefficient between 0.922 and 1.0, P<0.001). Additionally, a strong correlation (r=0.894, P<0.001) with the medically dependent SMID score was observed, confirming its criterion-related validity.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the S-CARES can effectively assess the severity of the respiratory function status of patients with SMID. Its application has the potential to improve respiratory care and help prevent respiratory infections in patients with SMID. Future studies should explore the applicability and usefulness of the scale across different ages and severities of condition in these patients.
