Association of stroke severity with functional outcome using National Institute of Health (NIH), Functional Independence Measurement(FIM) and Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SSQOL) in stroke patients

Introduction: A primary concern immediately after stroke for patients, their relatives, and their caregivers is the prospect for recovery. Several prognostic factors have been identified for outcome after stroke. However, there is a need for empirically derived STUDYs that can predict outcome and assist in medical management during rehabilitation. This study was conducted to find if assessment of stroke severity can predict functional outcome and quality of life in patients receiving rehabilitation. Material and Methods: NIH, FIM and SSQOL scales were evaluated on day 1, at the end of 1 month and at the end of 3 months. Scores were recorded and correlated with each other. Analysis of collected data was done using spearman’s correlation. Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between NIH, FIM and SSQOL Conclusion: The results of the study show that there is a highly significant correlation of NIH with FIM and SSQOL. Thus, stroke severity is highly associated with functional outcome and quality of life. Keywords: Stroke, NIH, SSQOL, FIM.