1. The GMFCS and GMFM in Clinical Practice
Dianne Russell and Peter Rosenbaum
CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON. Canada
Watch Videoconference, Friday June 6, 2008

2. Why use standardized measures anyway?

3. Measurement Purposes of measures To discriminate/describe
To prognosticate
To evaluate change over time

4. GMFCS “Gross Motor Function Classification System”
Palisano et al., 1997, 2008

5. GMFCS
What is it?
5 level classification system describing levels of gross motor function of children/youth with CP
Based on their current functional abilities and limitations and their need for assistive technology
Function is emphasis, not quality of movement

6. GMFCS Why is the GMFCS important?
Previous subjective, clinical judgment (i.e. ‘mild’, ‘moderate’, ‘severe’) meaningless, unreliable, not valid
Based on observation, parent report – quick and easy
Functionally based, not impairment-based (consistent with ICF framework)

7. GMFCS Clinically useful: Communication tool (clinicians, families)
Goal setting/planning interventions
With motor centile curves, to determine how a child is doing compared to children of similar age and GMFCS level

8. GMFCS consistent language describing samples conveying results
Research:
consistent language
describing samples
conveying results
Administration:
manage caseloads/ resource allocation

9. Further work with the GMFCS
Parents’ use of the GMFCS – reliable
The addition of an adolescent band to the GMFCS
Dutch colleagues will be adding more detail to the under 2 years band (Gorter et al, in press DMCN)

10. Gross Motor Function Classification System
GMFCS-E & R
GMFCS – E & R
Gross Motor Function Classification System
Expanded and Revised

11. Questions?

12. GMFM or GMFM-88
What is it?
observational measure of how much of an activity a child with cerebral palsy can do (but not how well they can do it – i.e. quality or performance)
What is the purpose of the GMFM?
evaluative & descriptive

13. GMFM “Gross Motor Function Measure”
Russell et al., 2002

14. GMFM or GMFM-88
88 items
5 dimensions (grouped together for ease of administration)
Items were ordered in each dimension using best judgment as to difficulty

15. GMFM or GMFM-88 Standardized 4 point ordinal scale (0-3 for each item)
Raw scores for each dimension, a total “percent” score; goal area scores; change scores

16. GMFM-88

17. GMFM-88

18. GMFM-66 How is the GMFM-66 different from the GMFM-88?
66 items of the original 88 items
The “ability continuum” ranging from 0 (low motor ability) to 100 (high motor ability)
An interval scale where change over time comparisons are more meaningful (difference of “x” points is the same at the lower and upper ends of the scale)

19. GMFM-66

20. GMFM-66
Requires GMAE (“Gross Motor Ability Estimator”) computer program to score:
Provides an estimate of score even when not all items administered
Can track scores over time (database)
Produces item maps – arrange items by order of difficulty

21. Russell et al., 2002

22. Russell et al., 2002

23. Clinical Use of Item Maps and Case Summaries
Understand/interpret change
Identify relatively easier and more difficult ‘next steps’ for a child
Discuss and communicate with parents about a child’s progress
Set appropriate goals and plan interventions

24. Current work with the GMFM
GMFM Algorithms (Item sets)
Developed to identify subsets of the 66 items which give a good estimate of a child’s score while shortening the time for administration of the GMFM-66

25. Questions?

26. Exploring Gross Motor Development Prospectively (JAMA 2002; 288; 1357-63)
OMG study: 5 years, NIH funding, 682 kids from across Ontario, 2632 GMFMs
First study of its type in the world
Main findings: a series of ‘motor growth’ curves for prognostication and treatment planning
Published Sept 2002 to good critical notice

27. Taken from Rosenbaum et al. (2002). JAMA; 288; 1357-63
Motor Growth Curves
Taken from Rosenbaum et al. (2002). JAMA; 288;

28. How can the Motor Growth Curves be used?
Describe patterns of gross motor function for children with cerebral palsy over time
Estimate a child’s future motor capabilities

29. Current work with motor measures
Adding centiles to the motor growth curves
(Hanna et al Phys Ther 88: )
Extending the motor growth curves into adolescence (ASQME study)

30. Current work with motor measures
Development of parent educational materials
…my child is GMFCS level III, what does that mean in terms of outcomes, interventions
Qualitative study with parents
“If I knew then what I know now”

31. Putting the measures all together…..
Several distinct purposes (all validated):
discriminative (descriptive)
evaluative
prognostic (predictive)
Can be used together to describe, to track and evaluate change over time, and to determine how the rate of change compares to children of similar abilities and ages

32. Scenario of Beth Beth was born prematurely
Almost 2 years old and still not walking
Diagnosis of cerebral palsy

33. Beth’s parents want to know
How bad is it?
Will Beth walk?
How will we know if therapy is working?

34. Beth’s therapist wants to know
What evidence-based measures are available to help me answer Beth’s parents’ questions?
How will I find the time to learn these measures?’
How can I use these measures to assist with realistic goal setting and collaborating with Beth’s parents?

35. The administrator at Beth’s treatment centre wants to know
How do we ensure that resources (therapy time and equipment) are optimized?
How can we document the effectiveness of our interventions to improve motor function?

36. “Our Child Has CP…” Parents’ First Questions, and Ways to Respond
Classifies gross motor function in
children with CP
GMFCS
“How bad is it?”
Motor
Growth
Curves
Relates age & GMFCS level to prognosis
“Will our child walk?”
GMFM-66 &
GMFM-88
Measures change over time due to treatment or maturation
“How do we know if therapy is working?”

37. Questions?

38. Our Challenge as Researchers and Clinicians
How do we improve the uptake of these validated measures into clinical practice?

39. Knowledge translation

40. Current work Exploring issues in knowledge translation
3 year CIHR study of moving the Motor Measures into Clinical Practice using a Knowledge Broker (KB)

41. Role of the Knowledge Broker (KB)
The job of knowledge brokering is to bring people (researchers, decision-makers, practitioners and policy-makers) together and build relationships among them that make knowledge transfer more effective
CHSRF (2003) The practice of Knowledge Brokering in Canada’s health system

42. Questions?