Functional outcome assessment of adults with dementia

The demands from health care funding sources for treatment outcome data that will document the benefits of treatment relative to its cost have resulted in the widespread adoption of the World Health Organization International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps as a useful model for gathering and providing such data. This article examines the literature on functional assessment and the outcomes of interventions for patients with dementia, then discusses current assessment instruments and procedures, the outcome data now available, and the research needs and challenges facing speech-language pathology in documenting the impairments, disabilities, and handicaps of patients with dementia.