Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40973375›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Assessing the sensibility, utility and implementation considerations of the Episodic Disability Questionnaire with older adults living with complex health needs: a cross-sectional measurement study.

Shaheer Khawar, Shelby Cameron, Jahanvi Patel, Simona Kukuruzovic, Kiana Wong, Ann Stewart, Soo Chan Carusone, Kelly K O'Brien

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Shaheer KhawarDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Shelby CameronDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jahanvi PatelDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Simona KukuruzovicDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kiana WongDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ann StewartSt Michael's Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine, and St Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Soo Chan CarusoneDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3977-0523
Kelly K O'BrienDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada kelly.obrien@utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1632-6537

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe Episodic Disability Questionnaire (EDQ) was developed to measure the presence, severity and episodic nature of disability experienced among persons with chronic conditions. Our aim was to assess the sensibility, utility and implementation considerations of the EDQ among older adults with complex health needs.

designCross-sectional measurement study involving quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. 

participantsWe recruited community-dwelling older adults (65 years of age or older) living with complex health needs receiving care from a primary healthcare team in Toronto, Canada.

methodsWe administered the EDQ, sensibility questionnaire (assessing face and content validity, and ease of usage, with each item scored from 0 to 7 with greater scores indicating greater sensibility) and demographic questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview in the home or clinical setting. Using an interview guide, we asked participants about their perspectives on utility, format and implementation of the EDQ in clinical practice. We considered the EDQ sensible if the median score on the sensibility questionnaire was ≥5/7 for ≥80% of items and if none of the items had a median score of ≤3/7. We conducted a team-based directed content analysis of the interview transcripts.

resultsThe median age of the 11 participants in this study was 83 years of age. All participants reported living with two or more chronic health conditions, with osteoarthritis (n=5) and diabetes (n=4) most frequently reported. The EDQ met the criterion for sensibility as measured by the sensibility questionnaire. Interview data from participants (n=10) indicated that the EDQ represents the health-related challenges among this sample of older adults with complex health needs, captures the episodic nature of disability and was easy to use. Utility of the EDQ included providing clinicians with a holistic understanding of health challenges older adults face, aiding in intervention planning and measuring changes in disability over time. Six of the participants also expressed uncertainty as to how the EDQ specifically could be used by clinicians in their care. Considerations for implementation included mode of administration (paper or electronic) and the importance of communicating EDQ scores with older adults based on individual preferences.

conclusionsThe EDQ possesses sensibility and utility for use among this sample of older adults living with complex health needs in home or clinical care settings.

Indexed as

Disability EvaluationPersons with DisabilitiesAgedAged, 80 and overCanadaChronic DiseaseCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGeriatric AssessmentHumansIndependent LivingMaleOntarioReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesGERIATRIC MEDICINEPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresREHABILITATION MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID40973375
PMCPMC12458621

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.