Recovery and outcome of patients with stroke treated in an acute care hospital

This retrospective study of patients with stroke was performed to describe the patients' functional independence on admission to and discharge from physical therapy treatment, determine whether significant functional recovery occurred during the treatment period, and identify independent variables correlating with recovery and outcome at discharge. The Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) system was used to score performance in bed mobility, transfers, locomotion, and stairs. Outcome was indicated by the discharge FIM scores and discharge habitat. The 105 patients whose acute care records were reviewed demonstrated significant improvements between admission and discharge in all functions. Among the variables that correlated significantly with recovery were number of treatments and admission FIM scores. Age and number of treatments correlated significantly with discharge habitat. All FIM scores (admission and discharge) correlated significantly with discharge habitat. Results suggest that FIM scores can be used to document the functional status of patients with stroke in an acute care setting and that the scores have value as predictors of recovery and outcome.