Could the GMFCS be used to help determine if an invasive surgical procedure should be tried?
Answer
Typically we don't think of the GMFCS as anything more than a classification system. To my knowledge, we are not using the GMFCS to help determine the need for surgical procedures. We are using it merely as a classification tool. It describes the child's function at that moment, not their future abilities or capabilities or their maximal performance. It looks at their exact level at that one point in time that we assess using the tool. I know there have been studies that use the GMFCS as an outcome measure. The developer of the tool, Dr. Rosenbaum, has come out with some statements saying that [outcome measures] aren't what the tool was meant to be used for. The tool was meant to classify function, not be used as an outcome measure. It's a tool more than a test.
Lisa Kenyon, PT, DPT, PhD, PCS
Dr. Kenyon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Kenyon heads the Grand Valley Power Mobility Project, an inter-professional research, and service project that provides power mobility training for children and young adults who are not typically considered to be candidates for power mobility use. Dr. Kenyon presents nationally and internationally on topics related to pediatric physical therapist practice and has published multiple journal articles and book chapters pertaining to topics in pediatrics. Dr. Kenyon currently serves on the Committee of Content Experts for the Pediatric Specialty Council of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
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