Characterizing Standardized Functional Data at Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities.
Chih-Ying Li, Trudy Mallinson, Hyunkyoung Kim and 3 others
PMID 35288084WHAT IT FOUND
Inpatient rehab records show Section GG and FIM mostly line up, but Section GG often scores patients as more independent.
Transfer change scores were least consistent. Higher Section GG scores can mean device use or different definitions, not better function.
Key findings
01Section GG scores were generally higher than FIM scores.
02Transfer change scores were the least consistent between Section GG and FIM.
03Self-care lower-body dressing and toilet transfer were most consistently scored, while oral hygiene and roll left and right were least consistently scored.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The data were collected for billing, not research, so raters were not checked and differences could come from who scored the patient or when. Only six of the 17 Section GG mobility items were used for transfer scores, so the full picture of mobility may be missing. The analysis used an older Section GG version, though the authors say the items studied did not change substantially. Facilities had different payment incentives for Section GG and FIM during 2017, which may affect how dependent performances were recorded. Patients were mostly from inpatient rehabilitation and had common impairments, so findings may not apply to other post-acute settings or less common conditions.
Declared interests
No author conflict-of-interest declaration is included in the supplied text. The article is labeled as NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Section GG is a better or more accurate assessment than FIM. The paper says higher Section GG scores can reflect device use, usual performance, and different item definitions, not better patient function.