Clinical Properties of the 6-Clicks and Functional Status Score for the ICU in a Hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

OBJECTIVE

To determine measurement properties of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care Inpatient Mobility Short Form (6-clicks) and Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit (FSS-ICU).

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of scores from a cohort of patients over 24 months. Outcome measures were administered to patients referred to physical therapy on admission and discharge.

SETTING

Tertiary care hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

PARTICIPANTS

2793 adults referred to physical therapy; 62% were male, with a median age of 58 (interquartile range=44-70) and the median length of stay was 14 days (interquartile range=8-28).

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Instruments' clinical measurement properties: (1) responsiveness as per mean change and effect size; (2) floor and ceiling effects; and (3) minimal important difference. Results were analyzed for the whole group as well as 3 subgroups: patients with stroke as primary diagnosis (n = 644), discharged from heart and vascular floors (n = 642), and discharged from medical floors (n = 554).

RESULTS

The mean change and effect size (Cohen's d) for the 6-clicks were +8.3 (±8.6) and 0.97, and for the FSS-ICU they were +6.8 (±7.8) and 0.87, respectively. 6-Clicks had a floor effect on admission among patients with stroke (16.9%) and patients discharged from medical floors (19.3%), as well as a ceiling effect on discharge (25.5% in the whole group). The FSS-ICU had a ceiling effect on discharge (23.2% in whole group). The estimated minimal important difference for the 6-clicks was 4.3, and for the FSS-ICU it was 3.9.

CONCLUSION

Both instruments demonstrate good responsiveness in adults hospitalized in the United Arab Emirates. The FSS-ICU exhibited several advantages in performance that suggest greater clinical utility than the 6-clicks. Minimal important differences were generated, which has not been previously reported for the 6-clicks.