Evaluation of the Patient-Specific Functional Scale for monitoring paediatric injury patients at a zonal referral hospital in Northern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among paediatric populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) is a commonly used tool to assess functional recovery. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PSFS for monitoring paediatric injury patients at a zonal referral hospital in Northern Tanzania. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre paediatric injury registry (November 2020 to June 2024) and included patients under 18 years treated for injuries at a zonal referral hospital in Northern Tanzania. Key outcomes were in-hospital mortality and injury-related morbidity, assessed using the PSFS and Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended Paediatric (GOS-E Ped). The PSFS's reliability was tested with Cronbach's alpha, its smallest meaningful change was calculated and its correlation with GOS-E Ped was analysed using Spearman's rank. RESULTS: Among 1000 paediatric injury patients, the mortality rate was 6.6%. PSFS mean scores improved from 4.3 at discharge to 6.5 at 2 weeks and 9.0 at 3 months post hospital discharge. The PSFS showed good reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.90). A moderate negative correlation was found between PSFS and GOS-E Ped at 3 months (Spearman's ρ: -0.74). The minimally clinically important difference was 2.7, with a sensitivity of 0.73, specificity of 0.72 and an area under the curve of 0.83. CONCLUSION: The PSFS was found to be a valid, reliable and responsive tool for assessing functional changes in paediatric injury patients, demonstrating strong internal consistency. The findings support its use to measure morbidity in this population.

Duke Scholars

Author Emily R Smith Emergency Medicine

Author Catherine Ann Staton Emergency Medicine