Interrater Reliability of the Todai‐shiki Observational Rating Scale (TORS) for Group Psychotherapy of Elderly Patients with Dementia

Background : Various types of psychosocial approaches have been developed in the field of dementia patient care. One of these approaches, reminiscence groups, is often applied in the care setting. We developed the Todai‐shiki Observational Rating Scale (TORS) to assess the effectiveness of reminiscence groups, and we examined its interrater reliability in this preliminary study. Methods : The subjects of the study were nine elderly patients with mild to moderate dementia. The TORS consists of 20 items covering four aspects of the patients' clinical picture: verbal communication, nonverbal communication, attention and interest, and emotion. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for each item was calculated. The mean ICCs for each item over five sessions were used as a reliable index. Results : The mean ICCs ranged from 0.53 to 1.00, and averaged 0.83. Conclusion : This preliminary study suggested that the TORS might be a useful tool to evaluate the effects of group psychotherapy for patients with dementia.