Title: Functional assessment – PM&R KnowledgeNow
Headings: Functional assessment
Functional assessment
Jump to:
1. Overview and Description
2. Relevance to Clinical Practice
3. Cutting Edge/unique Concepts/emerging Issues
4. Tables
Table 1. Quality of life and community re-integration assessment tools
Table 2: Palliative Care assessment tools
Table 3: Pediatric assessment tools
Table 4: Pain functional assessments
Table 5: Work Related Injuries Functional Assessment
Table 6: Activities of daily living scales
Table 7: Aerobic/Functional capacity measurements
Table 8: Balance assessment scales
Table 9: Cognitive
Table 10: Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury
Gaps in Knowledge/evidence Base
References
Author Disclosure

Content: Functional assessment – PM&R KnowledgeNow
Functional assessment
Author (s): Isabel Borras-Fernandez, MD, Nataly Montes-Chinea MD,, Brenda Castillo, MD, Maricarmen Cruz, Md
Originally published: May 2, 2016 Last updated: May 2, 2016
Jump to: Overview and Description Relevance to Clinical Practice Cutting Edge/unique Concepts/emerging Issues Tables Gaps in Knowledge/evidence Base References
1. Overview and Description
Functional assessments have been performed over the years but it has not been until recently that they have become and integral part of the comprehensive rehabilitation medicine evaluation. Descriptions of improvements in function of individuals undergoing rehabilitation have been consistently performed since rehabilitation medicine developed after World War II. However, this method of measuring improvement, an individual’s ability to perform a task, or response to treatment has lacked the consistency needed for making comparisons and for tracking changes over time to study their real rehabilitation outcomes. 1
Functional assessment measures an individuals level of function and ability to perform functional or work related tasks on a safe and dependable basis over a defined period of time. Assessment should include an examination consisting of a pertinent clinical history, behaviors that might impact physical performance, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, functional testing, and an assessment of effort.