The Functional Gait Assessment in Older Adults: Validation Through Rasch Modeling.

Background: The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), a measure of walking balance ability, was developed to eliminate the ceiling effect observed in the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI). Three presumably more difficult tasks were added and 1 easier task was removed from the original 8 DGI tasks. The effects of these modifications on item hierarchy have not previously been analyzed.

Physical therapist practice in the emergency department observation unit: descriptive study.

Background: An upward trend in the number of hospital emergency department (ED) visits frequently results in ED overcrowding. The concept of the emergency department observation unit (EDOU) was introduced to allow patients to transfer out of the ED and remain under observation for up to 24 hours before making a decision regarding the appropriate disposition. No study has yet been completed to describe physical therapist practice in the EDOU.

Minimal clinically important difference of the functional gait assessment in older adults.

Background: The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is commonly used to measure walking balance. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) has yet to be determined for the FGA.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to determine: (1) the MCID in the FGA for older community-dwelling adults relative to patients' and physical therapists' estimates of change and (2) the extent of agreement between patients' and physical therapists' estimates of change.

The Mobility Scale for Acute Stroke predicts discharge destination after acute hospitalization.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive validity of the Mobility Scale for Acute Stroke (MSAS) in determining discharge destination (home or not home) after an acute stroke.

Design: Cohort study.

Subjects: Two-hundred and twenty-three patients with acute ischemic or intraparenchymal hemorrhagic, unilateral stroke

Methods: The MSAS was administered as part of the initial physical therapy examination.

Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework for analyzing the Stroke Impact Scale-16 relative to falls.

Objective: To determine if subscores based on grouping Stroke Impact Scale 16 (SIS-16) items according to International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability (ICF) components are more accurate in identifying individuals with a history of falls than the total SIS-16 score.

Design: Case series.

Subjects: 43 community-dwelling people with chronic stroke.

Applying concepts of responsiveness to patient management in neurologic physical therapy.

Determining whether real change has taken place as a result of treatment and whether that change constitutes important change are challenges central to evidence-based physical therapist practice. Recently, the literature reporting these values for clinical measures has expanded considerably. In this article, we discuss some of the indices for identifying real change and important change, and how physical therapists can use these indices to enhance the interpretability of change scores derived from clinical measures.

The accuracy of individual Berg Balance Scale items compared with the total Berg score for classifying people with chronic stroke according to fall history.

Background And Purpose: To determine whether individual Berg Balance Scale (BBS) items or a group of items would have greater accuracy than the total BBS in classifying community-dwelling people with stroke with a history of multiple falls.

Methods: The subjects were 44 community-dwelling individuals with chronic stroke; 34 had one or no falls in the past six months, and 10 had multiple falls. Each BBS item was dichotomized at three points along the scoring scale of 0-4: between scores of 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4.

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework to examine the association between falls and clinical assessment tools in people with stroke.

Background: Falls in people with stroke are extremely common and present a significant health risk to this population. Development of fall screening tools is an essential component of a comprehensive fall reduction plan.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of clinical measures representing various domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) relative to their ability to identify individuals with a history of multiple falls.

Perspective: impact of the IIISTEP conference on clinical practice.

In July 2005, physical therapy clinicians, educators, and researchers gathered for the IIISTEP (Symposium on Translating Evidence to Practice) conference. The purpose of IIISTEP was to link research and clinical practice through the exchange of ideas and research findings between scientists and clinicians. This paper represents the personal perspective of a group of colleagues who attended IIISTEP as clinicians/educator teams.

The association of balance capacity and falls self-efficacy with history of falling in community-dwelling people with chronic stroke.

Objectives: To describe the frequency of falls; to relate capacity-based and self-efficacy measures to fall history; and to determine to what extent capacity-based and self-efficacy measures are explained by subject characteristics and stroke impairments.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Community.

Determination of the minimal clinically important difference in the FIM instrument in patients with stroke.

Objective: To define the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the FIM instrument in patients poststroke.

Design: Prospective case series discharged over a 9-month period.

Setting: Long-term acute care hospital.