UDSMR’s AlphaFIM® instrument provides a consistent method of assessing patient disability and functional status
in the acute care hospital. The AlphaFIM® instrument can help you obtain expected FIM™ ratings, evaluate expected
discharge status, and project expected minutes of care. AlphaFIM® ratings can be used to assign a probable discharge
disposition from the acute care setting and can be converted to expected minutes of care, which help staff and
family members understand a patient’s resource needs for performing activities of daily living.
The AlphaFIM® instrument is administered within the first 72 hours of admission.
Additional assessments may be performed throughout the acute hospital stay and
prior to discharge. The AlphaFIM®
instrument uses only those FIM™ items that can be collected reliably in
the acute care setting. The AlphaFIM® instrument can be used on two types
of patients:
- Patient Type A: A patient who has not
been observed to walk at least 150 feet will be rated using the six FIM™
items Eating, Grooming, Bowel Management, Transfers: Toilet, Expression, and
Memory.
- Patient Type B: A patient who has been
observed to walk at least 150 feet will be rated using FIM™ items
Locomotion: Walk; Transfers: Bed, Chair; Bowel Management; Transfers: Toilet;
Expression; and Memory.
The first type of patient (type A) is markedly disabled, as exemplified
by a patient in an acute care hospital, including the intensive care unit. The
second type of patient (type B) is a person who has been observed to walk 150
feet, requiring no more walking help than moderate assistance.
The AlphaFIM® instrument is an Internet-based product that enables
clinicians to estimate both a patient’s functional independence and the
amount of assistance the patient needs to perform daily activities. The
AlphaFIM® instrument helps turn data into valuable information that
healthcare professionals can share as a patient is transferred from an acute
care hospital to a rehabilitation program. It is certain to become an essential
tool for clinicians as they manage patients across the continuum of care.
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