TURKISH ADAPTATION OF THE REHABILITATION COMPLEXITY SCALE-EXTENDED: VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY IN STROKE PATIENTS

This study aimed to adapt the Rehabilitation Complexity Scale-Extended (RCS-E) for use in Turkish and assess its validity and reliability in patients with hemiplegia due to vascular stroke. We reviewed the medical records of 102 patients hospitalized for rehabilitation following ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. The complexity of rehabilitation needs was assessed using the RCS-E. Validity was determined by analyzing correlations between RCS-E scores and the mBarthel Index, mRankin Scale, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Intrarater and interrater reliability were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha. Two experienced rehabilitation specialists performed assessments one week apart. The ICC values for the RCS-E subscales ranged from 0.960 to 0.985, with a total score ICC of 0.987, indicating excellent intra-rater reliability. The inter-rater reliability ICCfor the total score was 0.858, reflecting high reliability. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the total score was 0.870, signifying high internal consistency. Significant positive correlations were found between the RCS-E scores and mBarthel Index (r = -0.611), motor FIM (r = 0.659), cognitive FIM (r =-0.481), and total FIM (r =-0.661) scores, while a negative correlation was observed with the mRankin Scale (r = 0.647; p < 0.001 for all).The Turkish version of the RCS-E is a valid and reliable tool for assessing rehabilitation needs in stroke patients with hemiplegia. It effectively guides rehabilitation planning and improves service quality. Keywords: Rehabilitation; Stroke; Hemiplegia;Validation Study