Background
Methods
Design and setting
Participants
Procedures
Measurements
No. | Hypotheses | Comparison measurement instrument | Observed correlation with DEMMI (Spearman’s correlation) | Hypothesis confirmed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measurement instrument | Construct | Mean (SD) or median (IQR) | rho | 95% CI | |||
1 | Concerning 1-7, a correlation of > 0.7 was expected between the DEMMI and other broad measures of mobility and walking endurance | Hierarchical Assessment of Balance and Mobility, 0–26 points | Mobility | 14 ± 7 (0–26) | 0.95 | 0.93 to 0.96 | Yes |
2 | Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment, 0–28 points | Mobility | 7 (1–17) | 0.96 | 0.95 to 0.97 | Yes | |
3 | Functional Ambulation Categories, 0–5 points | Ambulation | 3 (0–4) | 0.92 | 0.89 to 0.94 | Yes | |
4 | Short Physical Performance Battery, 0–12 points | Physical functioning/mobility | 1 (0–5) | 0.93 | 0.91 to 0.95 | Yes | |
5 | Timed Up and Go test (n = 72), sec | Mobility | 23 ± 11 (10–63) | 0.70 | 0.56 to 0.80 | No | |
6 | Barthel Index mobility subscale, 0–40 points | Mobility | 15 (8–30) | 0.95 | 0.93 to 0.96 | Yes | |
7 | 2-min walk test (n = 88), meter | Walking endurance | 63 ± 29 (12–126) | 0.70 | 0.58 to 0.79 | No | |
8 | Concerning 7-8, a moderate correlation (0.5 < rho ≤ 0.7) was expected between the DEMMI and other single-component mobility scales | 4-m walk test (n = 85), m/s | Gait speed | 0.59 ± 0.23 (0.15–1.15) | 0.68 | 0.55 to 0.78 | Yes |
9 | 5× chair rise test (n = 28), sec | Lower limb strength | 18 ± 6 (9–34) | 0.63 | 0.35 to 0.80 | Yes | |
Hypotheses | Observed mean DEMMI scores (points) according to clinical groups | Statistical significance (Mann-Whitney U test, 1-fold) | Hypothesis confirmed | ||||
Clinical groups | DEMMI mean score | ||||||
10 | A statistically significant mean difference between ambulatory (FAC ≥ 3; n = 108) participants walking without versus participants walking with a walking aid. | No walking aid (n = 21) | 67 ± 7 (53–85) | U = 137; P < 0.01 | Yes | ||
Walking aid (n = 64) | 49 ± 11 (27–67) | ||||||
11 | A statistically significant mean difference between independently ambulatory (FAC ≥ 4) versus dependently ambulatory/non-ambulatory (FAC < 4) participants. | Independent walkers (n = 53) | 61 ± 9 (39–85) | U = 109; P < 0.01 | Yes | ||
Dependent/non-ambulatory (n = 100) | 27 ± 15 (0–57) | ||||||
12 | A statistically significant mean difference between participants who can perform the TUG and those who are not able to perform the TUG. | TUG possible (n = 72) | 56 ± 11 (36–85) | U = 115; P < 0.01 | Yes | ||
TUG not possible (n = 81) | 22 ± 13 (0–57) | ||||||
13 | A statistically significant mean difference between participants who can climb stairs and those who cannot. | Able to climb stairs (n = 51) | 61 ± 9 (39–85) | U = 96; P < 0.01 | Yes | ||
Not able to climb stairs (n = 102) | 27 ± 15 (0–57) |
Statistical analysis
Measurement properties
Rasch analysis/Unidimensionality
Construct validity
Feasibility
Interpretability: Floor and ceiling effects
Results
Characteristic | Value |
---|---|
Age, years | 82 ± 7 (65–99) |
Gender: male/female, n (%) | 54/99 (35/65) |
Pre-clinical living situation: home alone/home with family or relatives/ institutionalized, n (%) | 89/58/5 (58/39/3) |
Total length of stay on the acute ward, days | 18 ± 8 (3–64) |
Time between admission and assessment, days | 3.1 ± 1.6 (0–7) |
Primary diagnosis according to ICD-10 categories | |
IX Circulatory, n (%) | 24 (16) |
X Respiratory, n (%) | 14 (9) |
XI Digestive system, n (%) | 7 (5) |
XIII Musculoskeletal, n (%) | 12 (8) |
XVIII Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified, n (%) | 18 (12) |
XIX Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes, n (%) | 52 (34) |
Other, n (%) | 26 (17) |
Potential reasons for cognitive impairment reported in the medical chart (diagnosis, symptom, medical sign; double-counts possible due to multi-morbidity) | |
None reported, n | 49 (32) |
Alzheimer’s dementia, n | 7 (5) |
Vascular dementia, n | 24 (16) |
Frontotemporal dementia, n | 1 (1) |
Dementia, not specified, n | 29 (19) |
Parkinson’s disease, n | 12 (8) |
Stroke, n | 18 (12) |
Depression, n | 32 (21) |
Delirium, n | 28 (18) |
Other (psychosis, alcohol abuse, Vitamin B6 deficiency), n | 8 (5) |
In-hospital walking aid | |
Wheeled-walker/rollator, n (%) | 60 (39) |
None, n (%) | 25 (16) |
Cane/single crutch, n (%) | 12 (8) |
Other, n (%) | 4 (3) |
Non-ambulatory (wheelchair), n (%) | 52 (34) |
Ambulation | |
Independent walkers (FAC ≥4), n (%) | 53 (35) |
Not ambulatory or dependent walkers (FAC ≤3), n (%) | 100 (65) |
Barthel Index, 0–100 points | |
Valid/missing, n (%) | 148/5 (97/3) |
Mean score, points (n = 148) | 46 ± 20 (0–90) |
Mini Mental State Examination, 0–30 points, n = 153 | |
Severe cognitive impairment, 0–9 points, n (%) | 1 (1) |
Moderate cognitive impairment, 10–18 points, n (%) | 56 (37) |
Mild cognitive impairment, 19–24 points, n (%) | 96 (63) |
Mean score, points | 19 ± 4 (8–24) |
Median score, points | 20 (16–22) |
Mean time between MMSE and DEMMI assessment, days | 2.6 ± 1.6 |
Median time between MMSE and DEMMI assessment, days | 2 (1–4) |
Clock Drawing Test, 1–6 points | |
Unsuspicious: 1–2 points, n (%) | 9 (6) |
Suspicious: 3–6 points, n (%) | 113 (74) |
Missing/not possible, n (%) | 31 (20) |
Mean score, points (n = 122) | 4.2 ± 1.2 |
Geriatric Depression Scale short form, 0–15 points | |
Normal: 0–4 points, n (%) | 70 (46) |
Mild depressive: 5–8 points, n (%) | 43 (28) |
Moderate depressive: 9–11 points, n (%) | 15 (10) |
Severe depressive: 12–15 points, n (%) | 7 (5) |
Missing/not possible, n (%) | 3/15 (2/10) |
Mean score, points (n = 135) | 5 ± 3 (0–13) |
DEMMI, 0–100 points, points | 38 ± 21 (0–85) |