Prediction of functional outcome after stroke rehabilitation.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of functional outcome after acute stroke inpatient rehabilitation using raw Functional Independence Measure (FIM) total scores.

Design: Multivariate analysis was performed on data collected retrospectively from stroke rehabilitation patients. Six independent variables were obtained from patients' medical records.

Results: The FIM total scores at the time of discharge from the hospital correlated strongly with FIM total scores at the time of admission to the hospital and correlated negatively with age and OAI using the Spearman's rank correlation method. The FIM total scores at the time of hospital admission were the best predictor of FIM total scores at the time of discharge from the hospital. However, the nature of the stroke, gender, and LOHS did not correlate with FIM total scores at the time of discharge from the hospital.

Conclusions: Because FIM total scores at the time of hospital admission and discharge are highly correlated, FIM total scores at the time of hospital admission can be used to establish a rehabilitation program, to inform the patient and family about the possibility of recovery, and to assess the amount and quality of care given in the home or discharge placement.