Poster 43: Inpatient Rehabilitation Trends in the Morbidly Obese Population

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the hypothesis that inpatient rehabilitation patients with morbid obesity have lower FIM instrument gains and longer lengths of stay (LOS) than patients without morbid obesity. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Regional rehabilitation center in a tertiary care center in eastern North Carolina. Participants: Patients admitted to an acute rehabilitation center between January 2002 and November 2006 with morbid obesity as a diagnosis code (278.01). This group was compared with the population of patients admitted to the same rehabilitation center without morbid obesity as a diagnosis code. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: All medical records of patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation with a morbid obesity diagnostic code of 278.01 (n=383) were reviewed and compared with medical records of patients without a morbid obesity code (n=5384). A simple t test was used to compare the 2 groups. Admission FIM scores, discharge FIM scores, FIM gain, LOS, and LOS efficiency. Results: On average, the morbidly obese group had an admission FIM score of 66.8 and a FIM gain of 17.96. The nonobese (control) population had an admission FIM score of 64.02 and a FIM gain of 17.90. The morbidly obese group had an LOS of 17 days and an LOS efficiency of 1.08. The control group had an LOS of 14 days and an LOS efficiency of 1.25. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in LOS (P=.025) but no significant difference in FIM gain or LOS efficiency. Conclusions: Morbidly obese rehabilitation patients require a greater LOS to achieve FIM gains comparable to that of the non–morbidly-obese population.