The Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit Scale: Is It Reliable in the Intensive Care Unit? Can It Be Used to Determine Discharge Placement?

Abstract

Purpose: To date there is little available information about the reliability of the Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit (FSS-ICU) scale in the intensive care unit (ICU) environment. The purpose of this study is 2-fold: first to determine the FSS-ICU scale's interrater reliability; second to examine whether a relationship exists between a patient's FSS-ICU score on the day of ICU-to-regular ward transfer and the patient's ultimate discharge destination. Methods: The interrater reliability of the FSS-ICU scale was tested among 6 physical therapists who routinely worked in the ICU. The FSS-ICU scores on the day of ICU-to-ward transfer and final discharge destination were collected prospectively from 26 patients who received physical therapy intervention. Discharge destinations were divided into 5 categories: home, acute rehabilitation unit (ARU), skilled nursing facility (SNF), assisted living facility (ALF), and others. Results: Interrater reliability of the FSS-ICU scale was high (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.992, 95% confidence interval) among the physical therapists who routinely worked in the ICU settings, and the median cumulative FSS-ICU scores on the day of ICU-to-ward transfer were significantly different among each of the discharge categories. Conclusions: Interrater reliability of the FSS-ICU scale was high among physical therapists who routinely worked in the ICU and who were familiar with the scale. This scale may have potential value to discriminate between different discharge destinations in a hospital setting, but further research is warranted.