Reliability of P-drive in occupational therapy following a short training session: A promising instrument measuring seniors' on-road driving competencies. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vaucher, Paul; Di Biase, Cyndia; Lobsiger, Emma; Margot-Cattin, Isabel; Favrat, Bernard; Patomella, Ann-Helen
• Other Names: Harries Priscilla guest-editor.; Unsworth Carolyn guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: British journal of occupational therapy. Volume 78:Number 2(2015:Feb.)
• Page Start: 131
• Page End: 139
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Ageing -- mild cognitive impairment -- automobile driving -- on-road evaluation -- reliability; Occupational therapy -- Periodicals; 615.8515
• DOI: 10.1177/0308022614562580
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-0226

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational therapists could play an important role in facilitating driving cessation for ageing drivers. This, however, requires an easy-to-learn, standardised on-road evaluation method. This study therefore investigates whether use of 'P-drive' could be reliably taught to occupational therapists via a short half-day training session. Method: Using the English 26-item version of P-drive, two occupational therapists evaluated the driving ability of 24 home-dwelling drivers aged 70 years or over on a standardised on-road route. Experienced driving instructors' on-road, subjective evaluations were then compared with P-drive scores. Results: Following a short half-day training session, P-drive was shown to have almost perfect between-rater reliability (ICC2, 1 = 0.950, 95% CI 0.889 to 0.978). Reliability was stable across sessions including the training phase even if occupational therapists seemed to become slightly less severe in their ratings with experience. P-drive's score was related to the driving instructors' subjective evaluations of driving skills in a non-linear manner ( R 2 = 0.445, p = 0.021). Conclusion: P-drive is a reliable instrument that can easily be taught to occupational therapists and implemented as a way of standardising the on-road driving test.