PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 3 , Pages 234-239, March 2009

Projecting Function of Stroke Patients in Rehabilitation Using the AlphaFIM Instrument in Acute Care

Gary Stillman and Dr. Carl V. Granger presented information about these findings to the Northeast Cerebrovascular Consortium (NECC) in Boston in September 2006 and to an American Stroke Association (ASA) Stroke Symposium in Rochester, New York, May 2007.

  • Gary Stillman, MS, OTR

      Affiliations

    • Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kaleida Health, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Williamsville, NY⁎
    • ,
  • Carl Granger, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY; Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (UDSMR), Amherst, NY⁎
    • ,
  • Paulette Niewczyk, PhD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Center for Functional Assessment Research, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14228; Department of Health Care Studies, Daemen College, Amherst, NY⁎
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: P.N.

Received 13 August 2008; accepted 25 October 2008. published online 09 February 2009.

Objectives

(1) To establish the reliability and validity of the AlphaFIM instrument; (2) To examine the hypotheses that the 6-item AlphaFIM instrument administered in acute care would closely approximate the full 18-item FIM instrument rating administered at admission to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF); (3) to determine whether the acute AlphaFIM projected rating could predict the full FIM instrument ratings at discharge from the IRF; (4) to test whether the acute AlphaFIM projected rating could predict length of stay (LOS) in the IRF; (5) to determine if the acute AlphaFIM projected rating could predict the likelihood of patients being discharged from the IRF to the community.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A prospective cohort study of 144 stroke patients in an acute care stroke unit with subsequent transfer to an IRF.

Interventions

None.

Main Outcome Measurements

IRF admission FIM rating, IRF discharge FIM ratings, LOS, and likelihood of discharge to community.

Results

The AlphaFIM instrument displayed adequate reliability and validity. Results of a linear regression showed the acute AlphaFIM instrument ratings were significant in predicting IRF admission FIM instrument ratings, IRF discharge FIM instrument ratings, and IRF LOS. Results of a logistic regression indicated the ability of the acute AlphaFIM instrument ratings to predict the likelihood of patients being discharged from the IRF to the community was statistically significant but did not account for a great deal of the variance in the model.

Conclusions

The AlphaFIM instrument, used in acute care, has utility in projecting FIM instrument ratings of stroke patients' function at admission to and discharge from the IRF.

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 
  • ⁎ Disclosure: nothing to disclose
  • ⁎ Disclosure: 1B Executive Director, UDSMR
  • ⁎ Disclosure: nothing to disclose

 Disclosure Key can be found on the Table of Contents and at www.pmrjournal.org

 AlphaFIM instrument and FIM instrument are trademarks of Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation, a division of UB Foundation Activities, Inc.

PII: S1934-1482(08)00026-9

doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2008.10.014

PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 3 , Pages 234-239, March 2009

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution