Functional task benchmarks for stroke rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE

To determine typical outcome "benchmarks" for 18 functional tasks in patients undergoing stroke rehabilitation. The benchmarks are intended to serve as points of reference to which the outcomes of patients with similar impairments and degrees of disability can be compared.

SUBJECTS: Records from 26,339 stroke patients discharged from 252 inpatient facilities across the United States that submitted 1992 data to the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation.

METHODS

Stroke impairment was detailed as the presence or absence of hemiparesis resulting from stroke and the side(s) of involvement. Within each of five stroke impairment categories, patients were further classified by the Functional Independence Measure-Function-Related Groups (FIM-FRGs) into nine syndromes by degree of disability (admission motor and cognitive FIM scores) and by age. Outcomes were determined for each stroke syndrome at patients' discharge from medical rehabilitation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients' median performance levels on each of the 18 items making up the FIM, length of stay, and community discharge rates.

RESULTS

The majority of patients whose admission motor FIM scores were above 37 were able to eat, groom, dress the upper body, and manage bladder and bowel functions independently by discharge. In addition to these tasks, most of those whose motor FIM scores were above 55 were able to dress the lower body, bathe, and transfer onto a chair/bed or toilet. The majority of patients whose initial motor FIM scores were above 62 points and whose cognitive FIM scores were above 30 gained independence in most tasks, including stair climbing and tub transfers. Community discharge rates ranged from 51.6% for the group of patients with the most severe disabilities to 99.2% for the group with the least severe disabilities.

CONCLUSION

The clinician can apply these benchmarks to guideline development and quality improvement, and in establishing patient goals.