title: Affirming the Value of the Resident Assessment Instrument: Minimum Data Set Version 2.0 for Nursing Home Decision-Making and Quality Improvement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We examined the agreement over time of the physical functioning domains of the Resident Assessment Instrument: Minimum Data Set Version 2.0 (RAI-MDS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) in nursing home residents with dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We completed a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal quasi-experimental study of residents who could transfer independently or with the assistance of one person. FIM assessments were completed at up to three time points by researchers using interviews. RAI-MDS assessments, completed by nursing home staff, were matched to the FIM assessment by nearest time. FIM and RAI-MDS assessments were correlated based on time between assessments using Pearson's correlation. Items for activities of daily living (ADL) from the RAI-MDS were rescaled using two previously published crosswalks. Motor and ADL subscales were also used, containing eight and six items, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 362 paired interviews and assessments were collected from 130 residents. The mean scores and standard deviations were as follows: FIM: 19.64 (7.60); William's RAI-MDS crosswalk: 18.04 (5.25); and Velozo's RAI-MDS crosswalk: 18.09 (6.50). Using both crosswalks, most items showed medium (r > 0.3) or large (r > 0.5) correlations, even at greater than 41 days between assessments. Subscales showed large correlations for all time intervals for both crosswalks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RAI-MDS remains stable when data are collected greater than 41 days from the FIM assessment. These findings should add confidence in the RAI-MDS data and its clinical utility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada. lindsay.drummond@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Lindsay S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada. susan.slaughter@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Slaughter
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada. cajones@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: C Allyson
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada. adrian.wagg@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Adrian S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wagg
keywords: FIM; RAI-MDS 2.0; activities of daily living; dementia; nursing home