Using Functional Independence Measure profiles as an index of outcome in the rehabilitation of brain-injured patients

Abstract

Rehabilitation preserves and restores everyday functions in people who have disabilities. Functional change for patients undergoing a rehabilitation program is the best measure of the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. One tool used for measuring function is the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). However, there are problems with the psychometric properties of FIM. This article presents a method for using FIM with median patient profiles. We show the method with data from 53 patients. The results show a relationship between the pattern of recovery and the length of stay in the unit. Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients confirm this observation. Median patient profiles prove to be a useful method of displaying data as outcome measures of the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program.