Fequently Asked Questions:

Administration:

Q: A subject requires assistance to get up and down from the bus platform.  She places the bag on the stairs as she goes up and down, how would this be scored?
A:  None of the tasks allow for assistance for instance the administrator cannot carry or hold the bag for the person.  Guarding the person to prevent a fall is allowed. Regardless of the method a person uses to accomplish the task the total time from start to sitting down of the bus bench upon return is raw her function score.

Q: We have an indoor walking/running track (1/8 mile per lap) adjacent to our research labs. Will it create a measurement problem to conduct the 6-min walk test on the track rather than as described?
A: That is excellent. Should work fine.

Q: Do you divide the tests over several days per subject or complete all on the same testing day?
A: The tasks are all completed in one visit.  The participant may rest as frequently as needed..

Q: Do you recommend that all subjects complete the tests in the same order?
A: The order may be shifted around within the level (low, medium, high).  This allows for frailer participants to complete the greatest number of tasks they can.

Q: Pouring test - Do you repeat the test if the subject overfills/overflows the cup?
A: No, the spillage will not be weighed, which is then reflected as a lower functional score.

Q: Do you perform each test only once or do you use an average from repeated trials for each task?
A: Each task is done only once unless you feel there was a genuine misunderstanding of the directions or an administrative error (e.g. failed to start the stop watch) then you can begin that task again. Test retest reliability showed little day-to-day variation.

Q: What type of warm up activities do subjects complete before testing?
A: None, however is a participant would generally warm-up as a part of their daily routine, this can be done prior to testing.

Q: Do you recommend taking an RPE (rate perceived exertion) measure for each test or only at the completion of all tests?
A: Participants find it difficult to guage their exertion on non-steady state tasks.  We now assess RPE only at the end of the entire test. .

Q: Shoe strap test - Does the strap go around the instep? How long should the strap be?
A: The shoe strap does go around the instep.

Q: Scarf task - How far apart should the scarves be placed?
A: Approximately 1 inch between the scarves.

Q: Sweeping task - how far should the counter be from the sweeping area?
A: This is not a set area, but a person needs room to move on at least 1 side.

Q: How do you report the amount of litter left? - By written comment? By weight? By volume?
A:. Kitty litter left on the floor is not measured. Q: How much does it cost to set up the lab de novo?

A: This will depend upon the facilities you have. You can answer this question by visiting the website at Http://www.coe.uga.edu/cs-pfp/. The cost of all items and common vendors are listed. Not all the supplies will need to be purchased so the costs will depend on what you already have on hand or wish to make in house. The required space each task is listed and however, the configuration will depend upon your facility.

Q: Which method is used to calculate the CS-PFP Total and domain scores? Method 2 or 3?
A: The default method of calculation is method 3.  The old method will be available when you export your data.  We recommend method 3 bacause in method (3) the total is the average of all tasks, minimizing the effect of any one tasks regardless of their domain.

Q: When submitting my data for scoring, what does it mean when subjects get "better than best" and "lower than worst" scores?
A: Raw data is transformed into the 0-100 scale by comparing them to the lowest and highest range for the 228 people.  This feature is a first level screening for errors.  If the data looks correct you may continue. 

Q: Can the test be modified at all? For example, if we cannot perform the fire door test, can it be eliminated?
A: No, if a person cannot perform a test or it is missed it can still be scored but the program has not been tested for systematic omissions. It is not recommended that you eliminate any tasks.  We are currently validating a ‘reduced’ CS-PFP with 6 fewer tasks.  .

Q: Can you provide an estimate on the time it takes to administer the test?
A: This depends upon the population being tested, perhaps 60 min.

Q: Under what circumstances have you had to terminate the test (if any)?
A: Termination prior to finishing all tasks rarely happens as all tasks are submaximal and participants are free to rest as needed.  Technicians that administer the test should be aware of symptoms of hypoglycemia, angina etc.

Q: How come the "high" level tests do not appear to be particularly strenuous?
A: Everyone is to work at the highest level they can safely. For the very deconditioned older adults they can be working at better than 85% of VO2max walking 70 m carrying a 20 lb. load. People may be highly motivated to perform and push themselves to that level.

Q: How do you use the heart rate information that you collect?
A: In general, just for research purposes. A person may use it to keep abreast of the physiological response to the tasks.  Lack of heart rate data will not alter the scoring. 

Q: If someone refuses to perform a task on the PFP do we score that person as a "0" or do we leave that variable blank?
A: The information on how to code missing data is accessible by clicking on the 'missing data' just under the participant’s demographic data. In this case, you input 'ref'. The computer program will score it as zero. It is important to use the appropriate code. For instance, missing data due to administrative error does not lower the participant’s score.

Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance Test
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