Validity of 3 Physical Performance Measures in Inpatient Geriatric Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the construct validity and the responsiveness of 3 measures of physical performance measures as outcome measures for frail older persons. DESIGN: Pre-post design with measures at admission and discharge. SETTING: Three inpatient geriatric rehabilitation programs. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two subjects (35 women, 17 men; age, 80+/-8y). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physical performance measures were Timed Up & Go (TUG) test, two-minute walk test (2MWT), and functional reach. Functional status was measured with the FIM instrument and the Modified Barthel Index. RESULTS: The TUG and 2MWT scores differed significantly in groups of patients using different ambulatory aids (P=.006), whereas no such difference was observed for the functional reach (P=.40). The correlations between the TUG test and FIM and between the 2MWT and FIM were -.59 and .59 (P<.001), respectively, at admission, and -.42 and .47 (P< or =.04), respectively, at admission and discharge. The correlations between functional reach and the FIM were not significant (P> or =.09). Standardized response means were 1.1 for the TUG, 0.7 for the 2MWT, and 0.5 for functional reach. CONCLUSIONS: The TUG test and 2MWT are valid and responsive outcome measures in older persons participating in geriatric rehabilitation. Functional reach was a moderately responsive outcome measure but did not consistently reflect ambulatory or functional status.