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Cross-Reference Testing System |
This site was substantially updated June 24, 2009.
X-RTS, an acronym for
"cross-reference testing system" is a cost-effective family of tools for
use in physical therapy, industrial rehabilitation and athletic training
facilities. We specialize in developing products which objectively
classify validity of effort--and we fill a void that has created the
litigious "expert witness" culture surrounding functional capacity
evaluations. Our system enables the test administrator to assess
test behavior in a legally defensible manner.
The X-RTS Hand Strength
Assessment, supported by our original research, published in
the Journal of Hand Therapy, is applicable to a patient
population, as demonstrated in an article that was recently accepted for
publication on a conditional basis. Details regarding this study
will be released as the publication date nears. The X-RTS Hand
Strength Assessment, shown to be 99.5% accurate in the classification of
effort, stands in contrast to other methods which have a known error
rate of 30%. In the past 20 years, at least 25 studies and reviews
have concluded that the standard methods of assessing accuracy during a
hand strength test are not accurate.
For a list of those studies, click on the text in
this sentence.
Why accept less-than-accurate methods for your
practice or the claimants you send for functional assessment? This
method uses the common mechanical gauges, but incorporates an element of
significant distraction---allowing us to protect the cooperative
claimant while identifying non-compliance with an unprecedented level of
accuracy.
Our companion test for validity of effort is the
X-RTS Lever Arm. This device
eliminates the guesswork of the "visual estimation of effort" that is so
commonly used in FCE protocols. In contrast to other testing
methods, the Lever Arm involves repeated measures. Like the Hand
Strength Assessment, the Lever Arm utilizes the concept of
distraction-based testing. The visual appearance of the workloads
on this device are not accurately estimated by looking at the workloads.
The Hand Strength Assessment and Lever Arm test results are in agreement
with one another nearly 90% of the time. Details related to this
study will be released in the Summer of 2009.
For the past three years, we have been involved in
an expansive research initiative. The fruits of our labor are now
beginning to appear. We have had two
additional articles related to isometric testing accepted conditionally
for publication. One of these studies has a population of
130,000 subjects---and demonstrates conclusively that isometric
assessment is not capable of accurately predicting dynamic lifting
capacity. The other shows conclusively that the Static Leg Lift
and Static Arm Lift do not accurately classify validity of effort.
Data collection for our Visual Estimation of
Effort Study is finished. We are now in the process of
constructing the article we will submit for publication. Our
findings will be a revelation to many people---and will have
implications for testing protocols which rely on this method of
classifying exertion and cooperation. We anticipate submitting
this study for peer review some time in July 2009. We will release
details pertaining to this study at the appropriate time. Within
the next few months, we will begin submitting additional articles to the
peer-reviewed journals read by the legal and business communities.
Site visitors will be kept informed regarding the details of
publication.
A separate page on this site is devoted to each of
the X-RTS products. Before the Fall of 2009, we will create a
special page that will provide more details related to the research we
have conducted. For further information, use the Contact Us
feature found on each page. Thank you for visiting our site.
Email us by clicking on this
sentence.
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X-RTS Software
Products and Testing Devices
James D. St. James, Ph.D. and Darrell Schapmire, M.S.
P.O. Box 171, 128 Madison Street
Hopedale, IL 61747
Phone: (309) 449-5483 Fax: (309) 449-6218
ds@xrts.com
Site Copyright 2006
©.
The X-RTS Hand Strength Assessment software and database
are protected by US Copyright, 2001-2005©. The X-RTS devices are
protected by registered patents.
X-RTS ® is a
registered trademark.
Intellectual
property rights for this site are insured to provide a mechanism to
challenge infringement of the trademark, copyrights and patents
associated with this site. Intellectual property theft is a
federal offense having both civil and criminal consequences.
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