title: Descriptive and graphical strategies for assessing change: a case study of functional status in stroke patients.
abstract: A primary focus in the current context of the health care industry is the measurement of outcomes. Outcomes research, although inclusive of the use of advanced statistical analyses, can often be conducted using more easily understood analytical techniques such as descriptive analysis and graphical display of data. The article addresses the description and analysis of patient change scores on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) from 745 stroke rehabilitation inpatients. Display and discussion of percentiles, cross-tabulations, scatter plots, and side-by-side box plots are used in this case study of describing outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Nick
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Barker
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States