 | Robb Rose is Director of Marketing Operations at Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital of Wichita. Robb is also a Respiratory Therapist, Boarded Disability Analyst and Adjunct Faculty for Wichita Sate University. He holds a Masters in Human Resources from Webster University. Robb serves on the American Lung Association Regional Council and the American Heart Association Board of Directors. Robb is married and has 2 children. He can be reached at (316) 729-9999 |
Health & Rehabilitation
2004-01-01 11:10:00
What is a functional assessment?
: My father is recovering from an auto accident at an acute care hospital. His doctors are saying he will need further physical rehab at a rehab hospital, which will include a functional assessment. What is a functional assessment?
ANSWER: A quality rehabilitation hospital will help your father achieve his highest level of independence through medical teamwork. The team can consist of: your father, his family, Physiatrist (a physical medical rehabilitation physician), Neurologist, PCP (primary care physician), rehabilitation nurses, Physical Therapist, Speech Pathologist, Audiologist, Dietitian, Vocational Counselor, Neuro-psychologist (studies brain behavior), and many others. The rehabilitation process is individualized and may take weeks, months, and outpatient therapy after discharge.Prior to admission to a Rehabilitation Hospital a "Functional Independence Measure-ment" (FIM) is completed. The FIM scoring measures a patient's level of function at that time. The scoring provides a baseline for developing a rehab. plan and admitting a patient to an in-patient or outpatient status. The same FIM assessment is done in an on-going process during rehabilitation, as well as during discharge. In this way patients' therapies can be changed based on the real time changes of actual functioning.FIM is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and functions as a standard of care. FIM is based on a 7 point rating scale, measuring 18 separate activities. The activities include self-care, bowel and bladder management, ability to transfer, locomotion/ ambulation, communication, and social cognition. Each area is evaluated as independent (no help needed), modified dependence (help needed), or complete dependence. The FIM information comes from a combination of the patient, family, medical record, medical staff, and direct observation.
