Reliability of the original and revised versions of the Assessment of Living Skills and Resources

Background/Aim: The Assessment of Living Skills and Resources (ALSAR) measures instrumental activities of daily living in the older population and has some established reliability estimates. The study aimed to examine the interrater reliability of the original ALSAR in an Australian context and develop revised scoring criteria that were examined in a second interrater reliability study. Method: Seven occupational therapists rated a total of 20 clients over 65 years of age, with 10 clients in each study. Results: Using the original criteria, the ALSAR had relatively low interrater reliability across all scores (ICC range 0.253-0.756). The revised version yielded improved interrater reliability on all scores (ICC range 0.541-0.896). Conclusion: Detailed scoring criteria increased the interrater reliability of the ALSAR, enhancing its usefulness for clinical practice and research. © 2006 The Authors Journal compilatio