Functional Outcomes at the Rusk Institute
2005 Annual Issue
The Rusk Institute Outcomes Management System
The Rusk Institute Outcomes Management System is the patient-centered method
we use to monitor the effectiveness of our inpatient treatment programs. We
consider our programs to be effective if our patients learn to function more
independently as a result of their participation in our programs.
Periodic Monitoring
Upon admission to the Rusk Institute, all patients are evaluated by their
physician and therapists. Then, treatment goals are developed jointly
by the patient, the physician, and the treatment team. During the
patient’s stay, this team of professionals monitors and constantly
documents an individual’s progress.
In addition, the Rusk Institute subscribes to a service, which allows it
to monitor its overall institutional effectiveness on a quarterly basis. The “instrument” we
use is the FIM™, or Functional Independence Measure.
The FIM™ Measurement at Admission
and Discharge
The FIM™ is used by the therapists to rate 18 activities at admission
and discharge. The FIM™ score is the total of the ratings of these
18 items. The higher the score, the more independently the individual
is able to function.
The FIM™’s Role in Measuring Functional
Improvement
The Rusk Institute strives to provide rehabilitation services that will help
our patients function more independently when they return home. The
chart below summarizes the improvement in our patients’ functioning
level overall in several different disability categories for the period
January - December, 2005. The changes in the FIM™ scores between
admission and discharge show that, as a result of inpatient treatment,
patients in specific disability groups show higher overall levels of independence
in functioning at discharge.
