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Final Program


Final Congress Guide

Functioning and Disability

600 Section - Implementation of the Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT) in Routine Inpatient Rehabilitation Practice

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT
Objectives : The Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT), based on the ICF framework, may serve as an alternative outcome measure tool to the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) that can offer a broader and more patient-centred assessment of functioning. This study evaluates the utility of ClinFIT in a routine inpatient rehabilitation setting and compares its performance with the FIM. Specifically, it examines whether ClinFIT captures functional changes over time and identifies aspects of patient functioning not covered by FIM.


Design: A prospective observational study with consecutive recruitment and enrollment of 50 eligible inpatient rehabilitation patients at a tertiary rehabilitation facility in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were assessed using the FIM and ClinFIT at admission (T0) and discharge (T1). The effectiveness of the rehabilitation program was measured as a change in scores over time. The comparison between FIM and ClinFIT was then subsequently evaluated.

Results:

All participants reported ≥2 issues related to ClinFIT categories. Among these items, some are not routinely captured or measured by FIMs. A significant improvement in participants’ functional and cognitive outcomes was noted in ClinFIT in both total raw scores and subscale scores. There was a significant improvement in overall FIM Total, FIM motor total, and subscales but only modest improvement was reported in the FIM cognition total and its subscales. The degree of functional improvement as captured using the ClinFIT generally correlates with changes in FIM scores, signifying the usefulness of ClinFIT in detecting changes in functioning.

Conclusion: ClinFIT is a feasible and effective tool for detecting functional changes in inpatient rehabilitation. It demonstrates similar sensitivity to FIM and offers additional value by encompassing a broader scope of patient concerns. Its routine implementation may enrich multidisciplinary assessments and patient-centred care planning in rehabilitation settings.