Generation of Domains for the Equine Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Outcome Score: Development by Expert Consensus.
Authors: Tabor Gillian, Nankervis Kathryn, Fernandes John, Williams Jane
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Equine Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Outcome Score Standardised outcome measures are embedded in human and canine physiotherapy practice to objectively track treatment efficacy and guide clinical decision-making, yet equine rehabilitation has lacked comparable, validated assessment tools. Tabor and colleagues employed the Delphi method with expert consensus to identify core domains essential for developing a reliable outcome measure suitable for horses undergoing rehabilitation, using content validity ratio testing to establish agreement thresholds. Ten domains achieved consensus for inclusion: lameness, pain at rest and during exercise, behaviour at rest and during exercise, muscular symmetry, performance/functional capacity, palpation findings, balance and proprioception. This framework represents a significant step towards standardising rehabilitation assessment across equine practice, enabling farriers, veterinarians, physiotherapists and rehabilitation specialists to measure treatment outcomes objectively and comparably rather than relying on subjective clinical impression alone. Implementation of such a tool could improve evidence-based decision-making around case progression, justification of continued treatment, and ultimately optimise rehabilitation protocols across the equine industry.
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Practical Takeaways
- •You can now use a consensus-based framework of ten measurable domains to standardize outcome assessment in equine rehabilitation practice, improving treatment tracking and management decisions.
- •This research validates the domains you should be evaluating (lameness, pain, muscular symmetry, balance, proprioception, behaviour, and functional capacity) as evidence-based components of rehabilitation assessment.
- •Implementing an outcome measure based on these domains will help you demonstrate treatment effectiveness to clients and align equine physiotherapy with professional standards already established in human and canine practice.
Key Findings
- •Expert consensus identified ten core domains for an equine rehabilitation outcome measure: lameness, pain at rest, pain during exercise, behaviour during exercise, muscular symmetry, performance/functional capacity, behaviour at rest, palpation, balance and proprioception.
- •The Delphi method with content validity ratio testing successfully achieved expert agreement on domains meeting critical inclusion values.
- •A holistic outcome measurement scale incorporating these domains would provide objective assessment comparable to human and canine physiotherapy practice standards.