Article

Stroke is a leading cause of functional impairments.
The ability to quantify the
functional ability of poststroke patients engaged in a rehabilitation program may
assist in prediction of their functional outcome. The Functional Independence
Measure (FIM) is widely used and accepted as a functional-level assessment tool
that evaluates the functional status of patients throughout the rehabilitation
process. From February to March 2009, we searched MEDLINE, Ovid, CINAHL, and
EBSCO for full-text articles written in English. Article inclusion criteria
consisted of civilian and veteran patients posthemorrhagic and ischemic stroke
with an average age of 50 years or older who participated in an inpatient
rehabilitation program. Articles rated 5 or higher on the PEDro (Physiotherapy
Evidence Database) scale were analyzed, including one cluster randomized trial
and five cohort studies. Descriptive and psychometric data were outlined for each
study. Key findings, clinical usefulness of the FIM, potential biases, and
suggestions for further research were summarized. Although limited, evidence
exists that FIM scores can be used as an accurate predictor of outcomes in
poststroke patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS