The Psychometric Laboratory in the Department provides teaching and research in modern psychometric applications for health outcomes and educational assessment. Currently we are developing a new generation of scales for health outcomes which can be calibrated into a single item bank and used as a basis for Computer Adaptive Testing. We are also using a similar approach to develop an item bank for EMQ examination questions. We have just launched a university spin-off company to apply some of these techniques in the area of occupational health screening.
In addition, the laboratory supports a number of epidemiological and health services research studies in the area of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. The former are based upon large population samples and are designed to inform health service planning and clinical practice. Currently these data sets are being utilised by our postgraduate students to explore further issues such as the impact of multiple joint problems, or the interaction between multiple pathologies. The latter are concerned with service organisation and delivery.
Bent N, Tennant A, Swift T, Posnett J, Scuffham P , Chamberlain MA, Ad Hoc or Focussed Services for Young People with Physical Disabilities? The Lancet 2002; 360:1280-1286.
Tennant A, Penta M, Tesio L, Grimby G, Thonnard J-L, Slade A, Lawton G, Simone A, Carter J, Lundgren-Nilsson A, Tripolski M, Ring H, Biering-Sørensen F, Marincek C, Burger H, Phillips S. Assessing and adjusting for cross cultural validity of impairment and activity limitation scales through Differential Item Functioning within the framework of the Rasch model : the Pro-ESOR project. Medical Care 2004; 42: 37-48
Keenan A-M, Tennant A, Fear J, Emery P, Conaghan PG. The impact of multiple joint problems on daily living tasks in the over 55s: a UK community survey. Arthritis Rheum 2006; 55: 757-764