M-C Rousseau, K Baumstarck, I Hamouda, M Valkov, A Felce, S Khaldi-Cherif, C Brisse, A Loundou, P Auquier, T Billette de Villemeur, French Polyhandicap Group.
Rev Neurol (Paris). 2021 Jun;177(6):683-689. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2020.06.018. Epub 2020 Oct 14.
Mediation/Education :
This article describes the creation and initial validation of a tool called the “Polyhandicap Severity Scale (PSS)”. This scale was developed to assess the severity of the state of health of people with multiple disabilities. To do this, the researchers first selected criteria based on a review of the literature and expert opinion. The final scale comprises 27 items, 10 of which assess abilities (such as posture and communication) and 17 assess co-morbidities and impairments (such as epilepsy and behavioral disorders).
In the validation study, 875 subjects were evaluated with this scale, revealing that severity scores were higher in older subjects, those with progressive etiologies, and those with more medical devices and medications. The results showed that the PSS scale is reliable and valid for measuring the severity of polyhandicap.
This scale is an invaluable tool for healthcare professionals and decision-makers, enabling them to optimize care management and resource allocation according to severity. That’s right, PSS represents a major step forward in understanding and managing the needs of people with multiple disabilities, improving their quality of life and facilitating care planning.