Validity of the PULSES profile compared with the Functional Independence Measure for measuring disability in a stroke rehabilitation setting.

Abstract

To test the validity of the PULSES profile for measuring the disability of stroke rehabilitation patients and to compare it with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM); and to determine the ability of the PULSES score to predict discharge home from a stroke rehabilitation setting. Retrospective cohort. A tertiary stroke rehabilitation unit. One hundred ninety-seven patients admitted consecutively to a stroke rehabilitation unit from September 1992 to April 1995. The PULSES profile was tested for internal consistency. Criterion validity was evaluated by comparing with the FIM. Construct validity was tested using the multimethod-multitrait matrix method and by performing logistic regression to determine if admission PULSES score was predictive of discharge home. Internal consistency of the PULSES profile was supported with a Cronbach's alpha of .74. There was a high correlation between the PULSES and FIM admission and discharge scores of -.82 and -.88, respectively. The multimethod-multitrait matrix correlations demonstrated good convergent and divergent validity for the correlation of the PULSES profile items and the FIM subcategories. Multivariate logistic regression determined the admission PULSES total score to be an independent variable in the model to predict discharge home. The PULSES profile is a valid measure for assessing disability in the stroke rehabilitation setting. The PULSES profile correlates highly with the FIM. The admission PULSES total score is predictive of discharge home from a stroke rehabilitation program.