Time course analysis of FIM motor items by severity on admission of post-stroke hemiplegia patients

[Purpose] In this study, in order to establish the clinical path for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) training, and utilizing Functional Independence Measure (FIM) we estimated the predictable goals (independence levels) of individual items of ADL and the time it would take to achieve them. [Subjects] The subjects were 1,479 hospitalized stroke patients admitted to a rehabilitation ward in the recovery period. [Method] Based on the totals of the FIM motor item scores on admission (FIMM), the patients were divided into 9 groups, and for each group, for each of the individual items of FIMM, we calculated the percentage of patients achieving independence, and analyzed the times needed to achieve independence. [Results] The degree of disability in ADL on admission shows characteristics of achievement of independence and time to achieve independence [Conclusion] These results suggest that knowing a combination of these could serve as an index for ADL training of hospitalized hemiplegic stroke patients in rehabilitation wards in the recovery period.