Applied Cognition & TBI Task Force

CHAIR: Patricia Heyn

The Applied Cognition & TBI Task Force is continuing its mission to address cognitive rehabilitation research needs related to cognitive outcomes, tools, and measurements.  The AC Task Force is almost three years old, has about 12 active members working diligently on a TBI pharmacological measurement and outcomes evidence review projects.  Task force accomplishments include presentations at the 2017 CORE Conference program:

• Symposium, Evidence-based Pharmacological Interventions After TBI #289738 on Friday, 27 Oct from 2:30 – 3:45 pm
• Poster on Thursday, 26 Oct from 3:45 – 4:45 pm

For more information, contact Patricia Heyn.

 

Applied Cognition & Geriatrics Task Force

CHAIR: Sandie Kletzel

The Applied Cognition and Geriatrics Task Force continues to make progress towards its mission to evaluate cognitive geriatric related rehabilitation research, in terms of outcomes, tools and measurement, with the goal to translate evidence into practice. The AC Geriatric Task Force was formed nearly 3 years ago by a diverse group of nationally and internationally represented rehabilitation researchers. Currently, the task force has been comprehensively reviewing and evaluating the evidence on brain gaming interventions on cognitive outcomes of older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

The task force is presenting its work at the 2017 ACRM CORE Conference and at the IAGG 2017 World Congress that is the largest international conference on aging and geriatrics providing a unique forum for over 6000 gerontological and geriatrics professionals. See below the IAGG and ACRM Core Conference presentation dates:

• 2017 IAGG – Symposium: Brain Gaming Effects on Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review, 24 July 2017 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, San Francisco, CA.
• ACRM 2017 Annual Conference – Symposium: Evidence for the use of Brain Gaming in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment, 25 October 2017 from 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM in Atlanta, GA.

For more information, contact Sandie Kletzel.

 

NEW! SEEKING MEMBERS

Biometrics and BioMarkers Task Force

CHAIR: Jan Niemeier

This task force now has six members and they meet monthly. The aims and objectives of this task force are:

• Discover and provide information and evidence to the larger ACRM membership about the range of enhancements biomarkers and biometrics (B & B) can add to precision of measurement in rehabilitation research
• Identify and disseminate information about best practices in use of B & B, i.e., site resources and facilities
• Add to literature on use of biomarkers for the range of rehabilitation patient populations. Stroke was offered as an example in terms of potential usefulness of B & B for predicting recovery.

The next meeting is 24 July at 4:00 PM EST. E-mail Jan Niemeier for more details!

 

NEW! SEEKING MEMBERS

Communications Task Force

CO-CHAIRS: Jan Niemeier & Jen Weaver

This task force will aid in the dissemination of upcoming events and news related to the Measurement Networking Group and rehabilitation outcomes measurement. Currently, we provide content for the website and assemble our newsletter, Pre to Post. We are currently seeking new members to join this task force.

For more information, contact Jan Niemeier or Jen Weaver.

 

NEW! SEEKING MEMBERS

Curriculum Task Force

CO-CHAIRS: Lauren Terhorst & Shannon Juengst

The Curriculum Task Force has been busy the last few months. We developed a proposed framework for recommended measurement components in rehabilitation science program curricula, both for clinical training programs and research (PhD) programs. We have circulated this framework for feedback from experts in the field. The purpose of this feedback is two-fold: we hope to develop a set of recommendations for rehabilitation science curricula with regard to content related to measurement, and we will be developing a survey to assess the current state of measurement education in rehabilitation science programs (both clinical and research) across the country. We submitted an abstract to ACRM on the development of these recommended components (in review as of today).

For more information, contact Lauren Terhorst or Shannon Juengst. 

 

NEW! SEEKING MEMBERS

Early Career Task Force

CO-CHAIRS: Deepan Kamaraj & Jason Raad

The Early Career Task Force of the Measurement Networking Group (MNG) is excited to announce our upcoming symposium entitled, Outcomes and Measurement in Rehabilitation Research and Practice – The State of Science. This symposium, moderated by Dr. Deborah Bakas, will explore advances in clinical assessment, patient reported outcomes and measurement strategies that employ new technologies. The early career task force and senior members of the MNG are currently reviewing poster abstracts and will invite three of the most innovative early career researchers to present their work at this symposium. We invite all early career ACRM members to attend.

For more information please e-mail Deepan Kamaraj or Jason Raad.

 

Long-Term Assessment Task Force

CHAIR: Shannon Juengst

What started out as a proposed mental health assessment task force morphed into a broader task force looking at long-term and community-based assessment. The first project from this task force is focusing on mental health assessment in rehabilitation practice. We developed a survey, with feedback from the Measurement Networking Group and selected experts in the field outside of the MNG, to be disseminated to rehabilitation practitioners. This survey will assess the current state of mental health assessment and perceived needs in this area. We have translated the survey into Finnish and are in the process of translating it into Norwegian and Korean. We have built a RedCap database that will be used for dissemination of the survey and data collection, with the English and Finnish versions of the survey ready to go (pending final proof-reading!). Once fully translated, we will be dissemination broadly through social networking sites, websites, ACRM Member list-serves, and practitioner list-serves in Finland, Norway, and South Korea.

For more information please e-mail Shannon Juengst.

 

Rehabilitation Health Services Task Force

CO-CHAIRS: James Graham & Addie Middleton

The Health Services Research (HSR) Task Force has continued to explore new ways to increase awareness within the ACRM, grow our membership, and receive input regarding our role in enhancing both the quantity and quality of disability- and rehabilitation-related HSR. We are partnering with the Military / Veterans Affairs Networking Group to present a three-part symposium on HSR at the 2017 Annual Conference. Several members of the task force have oral and poster presentations on various health services topics. This task force recently submitted a Special Communication paper to APM&R providing brief overviews of the current healthcare policy landscape, HSR efforts in our field to date, and the rationale why ACRM members should be taking leadership roles in the research that informs disability and rehabilitation policy and practice. We look forward to the feedback we receive on this first ‘call to action.’

For more information please e-mail James Graham or Addie Middleton.

 

NEW! SEEKING MEMBERS

Rehabilitation Measures Database Task Force

CHAIR: Linda Ehrlich-Jones

This task force met in June to discuss the layout for summaries for the new website. The RMD website is being updated and switching platforms. It is a great time to join this task force and contribute by providing evidence-based summaries of various instruments used in rehabilitation services for a variety of diagnoses.

Contact Linda Ehrlich-Jones to join this group!

 

Terminology Task Force

CHAIR: Allan Kozlowski

The Terminology Task Force (TTF) of the ACRM Measurement Networking Group (MNG) held its third meeting this week. The TTF continues work to define its scope and deliverables for the long term. The overall purpose of the TTF is to review usage of measurement terminology in rehabilitation literature, and to make recommendations to the MNG to establish standards.

To date, the TTF has compiled an initial list of measurement terms, and another list of measurement terminology references and resources. The first task to be defined by the TTF is to conduct a review of usage of validity-related terms in rehabilitation literature. The rationale for this task arose from discussions among TTF members regarding the two prevailing perspectives on defining the concept of validity and categorizing related terms, both of which arose from psychology and education disciplines.

The traditional perspective defines validity, either implicitly or explicitly, as a measurement property of the instrument. Terms are then categorized as types and sub-types of validity that describe different methods of inferring contexts in which the instrument is valid for use.

The contemporary perspective defines validity in terms of score interpretation, which implicitly acknowledges that instrument can produce valid scores in one context and invalid scores in another. Rather than categorizing types, this perspective defines methods of establishing evidence for use of an instrument in which valid scores can be produced.

The expected deliverable for this task is a manuscript to be submitted for peer review which will describe current term usage as type, frequency, and context of validity-related terms, to identify discrepant usage, and to provide recommendations for standard usage where discrepancies are found. The review and manuscript process used for this first task will provide a template on which usage of other classes of measurement terms can be appraised.

The TTF is currently comprised of six members: Tanja Laukkala, Jan Niemeier, Jenni Moore, Noelle Carlozzi, Ann Van de Winckel, and Al Kozlowski (Chair). While interested in adding members in the future, the TTF has decided to limit its membership while establishing procedures for literature review. Once in place, we will invite additional members to form sub-groups to apply the review methodology to other terminology classes, such as those related to reliability and measurement of change.

If you are interested in the TTF, contact Al Kozlowski.