Accuracy of the AM-PAC BMSF in Predicting Discharge Physical Therapy Referrals in Pediatric Acute Care

Purpose: This study evaluated the accuracy of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care “6-Clicks” Inpatient Basic Mobility Short Form (AM-PAC BMSF) in predicting discharge outcomes in a pediatric acute care setting and identifying a cutoff score for outpatient physical therapy referrals. Methods: A retrospective analysis included initial AM-PAC BMSF scores from 2014 children aged 4 to 17 years hospitalized for more than 72 hours. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis assessed the tool’s sensitivity and specificity in predicting postdischarge physical therapy referrals. Results: Children referred to outpatient physical therapy had significantly lower initial AM-PAC BMSF scores. A raw score of 17 to 18 (49% impairment) was the optimal cutoff score for predicting outpatient physical therapy referrals. Conclusions: The AM-PAC BMSF, completed at the initial evaluation, can moderately predict the need for outpatient physical therapy following pediatric acute care discharge. A cutoff score of 18 may support more proactive and targeted discharge planning.