Deriving a Barthel Index from the Northwick Park Dependency Scale and the Functional Independence Measure: are they equivalent?

Objective: To examine the extent of agreement between Barthel Index scores derived from Northwick Park Dependency Scores (NPDS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) ratings, in an inpatient setting. Design and setting: Previously described conversion criteria were applied in a secondary analysis of a large existing dataset, gathered in a tertiary specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation unit. Subjects: Patients with neurological disabilities (N = 1347), mainly following acquired brain injury. Main measures: Comparison of Barthel scores derived from the NPDS (rated by nursing staff) and from parallel FIM scores (rated by the therapy team). Results: Very strong intraclass correlations were observed between the total scores (0.93, P