Research Article
Issue Date: April 24, 2019
Published Online: April 25, 2019
Updated: April 25, 2019
Italian Version of the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test for the Assessment of Hand Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study
Marta Nobilia; Greta Culicchia; Marco Tofani; Rita De Santis; Andrea Savona; Domenico Guarino; Donatella Valente; Giovanni Galeoto
Author Affiliations
  • Marta Nobilia, BSc, OT, is Occupational Therapist, Hand Surgery Unit, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy.
  • Greta Culicchia, BSc, OT, is Occupational Therapist, Hand Surgery Unit, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy.
  • Marco Tofani, MSc, OT, is Research Assistant, Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Neurosciences and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy.
  • Rita De Santis, MSc, OT, is Occupational Therapist, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Locomotor Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  • Andrea Savona, BSc, OT, is Occupational Therapist, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  • Domenico Guarino, BSc, OT, is Occupational Therapist, Montecatone Rehabilitation Institute, Imola, Italy.
  • Donatella Valente, MSc, is Associate Professor, Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  • Giovanni Galeoto, MSc, PT, is Research Fellow, Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; giovanni.galeoto@uniroma1.it
Article Information
Hand and Upper Extremity / Research Articles
Research Article   |   April 24, 2019
Italian Version of the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test for the Assessment of Hand Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 04 2019, Vol. 73, 7303205080. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.030080
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 04 2019, Vol. 73, 7303205080. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.030080
Abstract

Importance: Having a test to evaluate hand function is fundamental to occupational therapy practice.

Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Three health care institutions in Rome, Italy.

Participants: 136 people with injuries, burns, or neurological diseases of the hand.

Intervention: No intervention was provided.

Outcomes and Measures: We administered the JTHFT, an assessment of fine motor skills during performance of activities of daily living, and compared results with dynamometer readings.

Results: The mean ± standard deviation total time required to perform all subtests was 89.47 ± 67.98 s for the dominant hand (DH) and 167.11 ± 257.58 s for the nondominant hand (NDH). Reliability procedures were applied to data from 51 participants; mean intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was .814 for the DH and .981 for the NDH, and mean interrater ICC was .818 for the DH and .821 for the NDH. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were significant.

Conclusion and Relevance: Results support the use of the Italian version of the JTHFT as a measure of functional dexterity in people with upper limb disorders.

What This Article Adds: The JTHFT is a valid and reliable assessment tool for nonspecific hand diseases. Italian health professionals can now use the JTHFT with more confidence.