Citation

Anderst J, Dowd MD, Schnitzer PG, Tryon T. Pediatrics 2012; 129(6): e1517-24.

Affiliation

aSection on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

10.1542/peds.2011-2880

PMID

22566419

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:Standardized evaluation tools have been shown to reduce variability in care. The objective of this study was to develop a clinically oriented evaluation tool for the rapid assessment of the adequacy of supervision of a young child.METHODS:The Rapid Assessment of Supervision Scale (RASS) was developed via a 3-step process: (1) a modified Delphi survey of child abuse experts identified the most important characteristics for use in the assessment of adequacy of supervision; (2) the RASS was designed by using standardized definitions and the results of the Delphi survey; and (3) a total of 4 medical professionals evaluated 139 real case scenarios by using the RASS. Reliability and feasibility were assessed.RESULTS:Sixty-seven child abuse experts participated in round 2 of the Delphi process and 50 participated in round 3. The RASS included 9 supervision characteristics identified from the Delphi process, standardized definitions, and a scoring system. The interclass correlation coefficients for interrater reliability of the mean RASS scores and overall supervision classification were 0.63 (95% confidence interval: 0.56-0.70; P = .000) and 0.59 (95% confidence interval: 0.51-0.67; P = .000), respectively, indicating moderate to strong agreement. For intrarater reliability, correlation coefficients for mean RASS scores indicated moderate to high correlation (0.50-0.83). Correlation for overall classification of supervision ranged from low to high (0.27-0.80).CONCLUSIONS:The RASS scale has been shown to be efficient and, in a small sample, to have moderate to substantial interrater agreement. Further development could result in a tool that aids clinicians and researchers in the evaluation of supervision.

Language: en