Reliability and validity of the adult alpha functional independence measure instrument in England

It is essential for neuroscience nurses everywhere to have reliable and valid instruments with which to measure functional ability, but reliability and validity have yet to be reported on the adult Alpha Functional Independence Measure (AlphaFIM) in England. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the adult AlphaFIM instrument. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. Validity was examined by comparing adult AlphaFIM instrument scores with Barthel Index scores and by factor analysis in a group of 551 patients admitted to acute medical units. Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item adult AlphaFIM instrument was .90. The correlation between the adult AlphaFIM instrument and the Barthel Index was .68 (p < .001). The factor analysis supported a one-factor solution for the 6-item adult AlphaFIM instrument. This is the first report of reliability and validity on this instrument. The adult AlphaFIM instrument appears to be a reliable and valid tool with which to measure functional ability in an acute medical geriatric population in England.