Evidence Supporting the Effectiveness of Standardized Assessments at Predicting Safe Performance of Activities of Daily Living for Patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities

The research question was “What is the evidence to support the effectiveness of standardized assessments at predicting safe performance of ADLs for patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs)?” The literature review results indicate that there is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of the Barthel Index (BI), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at predicting safe performance of ADLs for patients in SNFs. It is recommended that practitioners use the MBI to predict safe performance of ADLs for patients at intake and discharge from SNFs. To support implementation of the research findings, a fact sheet and pre-recorded presentation were developed to assist practitioners with incorporating valid and reliable assessments into clinical practice for patients in SNFs. The impact of knowledge translation was measured through a satisfaction survey sent to collaborators. There is not sufficient survey data to support effectiveness of knowledge translation measures. This research highlights a need for further research to capture psychometric data of standardized assessments in SNFs