Accuracy of the AM-PAC BMSF in Predicting Discharge Physical Therapy Referrals in Pediatric Acute Care

This study evaluated the accuracy of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6-Clicks" Inpatient Basic Mobility Short Form (AM-PAC BMSF) in predicting discharge outcomes in a pediatric acute care setting and identifying a cutoff score for outpatient physical therapy referrals.

A retrospective analysis included initial AM-PAC BMSF scores from 2014 children aged 4 to 17 years hospitalized for more than 72 hours. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis assessed the tool's sensitivity and specificity in predicting postdischarge physical therapy referrals.

Children referred to outpatient physical therapy had significantly lower initial AM-PAC BMSF scores. A raw score of 17 to 18 (49% impairment) was the optimal cutoff score for predicting outpatient physical therapy referrals.

The AM-PAC BMSF, completed at the initial evaluation, can moderately predict the need for outpatient physical therapy following pediatric acute care discharge. A cutoff score of 18 may support more proactive and targeted discharge planning.