Measures of order consistency between paired ordinal-data: Application to the functional independence measure and SUNNAAS index of ADL

The aim was to evaluate the inter-item consistency between corresponding it ems in the Functional Independent Measure (FIM) and Sunnaas index of ADL (S I) by means of a statistical approach that takes account of the nonmetric p roperties of ordinal data. The ADL dependence in 204 stroke patients was as sessed by interview 3 months after the onset of stroke. The result showed t hat the inter-item consistency between the FIM and SI were high for many it ems, but operational differences between some FIM and SI items were also id entified. The statistical evaluation demonstrated that some of the ordered categorical levels of the seven-point item scales in the FIM could be aggre gated into four levels without loss of information.