Article

PURPOSE: To compare the clinimetric properties of the de Morton Mobility Index
(DEMMI(R)) and the Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS).
METHOD: A head-to-head
comparison of the EMS and DEMMI(R) with 120 consecutive older acute medical
patients. The DEMMI(R) and EMS were administered within 48 h of hospital
admission and discharge. RESULTS: At admission, 6% and 15% of participants scored
the lowest scale score for the DEMMI(R) and EMS, respectively. For the DEMMI(R),
17% of participants scored within the minimal detectable change of the lowest
scale score compared to 20% for the EMS at admission. At hospital discharge,
DEMMI(R) scores were normally distributed and the EMS had a ceiling effect.
Similar evidence of convergent, discriminant and known groups validity were
obtained for the DEMMI(R) and EMS. There was no significant difference in
responsiveness to change between the DEMMI(R) and EMS. The EMS was significantly
quicker to administer compared to the DEMMI(R). CONCLUSION: The DEMMI(R) and EMS
are both valid measures of mobility for older acute medical patients. The
DEMMI(R) has a broader scale width than the EMS with interval level measurement
and therefore provides a more accurate method for measuring and monitoring
changes in mobility for older acute medical patients. Implications for
Rehabilitation Mobility of older acute medical patients. Hospitalised older acute
medical patients are at
"high risk" of mobility decline.
Accurate measurement of
mobility is essential for preventing and treating mobility decline. Many existing
mobility measures have significant measurement limitations. The DEMMI(R) is a
more accurate measure of mobility than the EMS in an older acute medical population.

Langue : ANGLAIS