Kettle test efficacy in predicting cognitive and functional outcomes in geriatric rehabilitation

Limited research has been available to support the use of the Kettle Test in a subacute rehabilitation setting with patients diagnosed with a variety of medical conditions. The Kettle Test is an occupation based performance measure designed to detect cognitive processes and function. The aim of this research was to measure the correlation between three cognitive tests, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cognitive Functional Independence Measure (Cognitive FIM) and the Kettle Test. Secondly, to assess the efficacy of these tests in predicting functional outcomes via the motor subscale of the Functional Independence Measure (mFIM).

A prospective single-centre cohort study in a subacute rehabilitation setting of 97 patients.

Correlation coefficients between the tests were statistically significant and moderately strong, with values ranging from 0.593 to -0.589. Significant positive correlations were seen between admission MMSE, Cognitive FIM and the mFIM and significant negative correlations between Kettle Test scores and the mFIM. The Kettle Test score had a stronger relationship with mFIM (r = -0.40; P < 0.01) compared to the Cognitive FIM (r = 0.33; P < 0.01) and MMSE (r = 0.26; P < 0.05). The Kettle Test variance is significantly associated with the MMSE and Cognitive FIM at admission and discharge measures. Modelling identified that age and gender significantly contribute to this relationship. When adjusted for age and gender the MMSE and Cognitive FIM both explained the 47% of the variance at discharge.

There were statistically significant inter-test correlations between the MMSE, Cognitive FIM and Kettle Test. The Kettle Test had the strongest relationship to patient functional outcomes.