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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Multiple sclerosis rehabilitation outcomes: analysis of a national casemix data set from Australia
F Khan1, L Turner-Stokes, T Stevermuer
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. fary.khan@mh.org.au
Objective:
To examine the outcomes of inpatient rehabilitation for persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), using the Australian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC) database.
Method:
Deidentified data from the AROC database were analyzed for all rehabilitation admissions during 2003-2007, using four classes for functional level. The outcomes included Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores and efficiency, hospital length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination.
Results:
Of 1010 case episodes, 70% were women, admitted from home (n = 851) and discharged into the community (n = 890), and 97% (n = 986) were in the higher three classes for functional level (classes 216, 217, and 218). Majority of the more disabled pwMS were treated in the public hospital system, with a longer LOS compared with private facilities (P < 0.001). The FIM for classes 216-218 showed significant functional improvement during the admission (P < 0.001), and those in higher classes showed less change (likely due to higher FIM admission scores). FIM efficiency was significantly higher in class 217 than other classes (P < 0.001). The year-on-year trend was toward reducing hospital LOS and FIM efficiency, but these did not reach significance (P = 0.107, P = 0.634).
Conclusion:
The AROC data set is useful for describing rehabilitation outcomes for pwMS. However, additional information needs to be collected to evaluate nature of services provided and service implications.
