Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) - A Universal Outcome Tool
The Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) is a clinically validated, 10-item self-report questionnaire that captures how satisfied an individual is with their ability to perform everyday mobility tasks. Because it works consistently across every method of mobility—from no device to canes, walkers, prosthetics, and wheelchairs—and can be administered in person, by phone, or online without specialized training, it gives clinicians, suppliers, and payers a single standardized way to measure real-world functional outcomes over time.
Description
The FMA presents ten statements covering the mobility-related activities of daily living that matter most to users: daily routine, comfort needs, health needs, operating the mobility system, reaching and carrying tasks at different surface heights, transfers, personal care, indoor mobility, outdoor mobility, and personal/public transportation. Respondents rate each statement on a six-point scale ranging from "completely disagree" (1) to "completely agree" (6), producing a snapshot of perceived function tied to their current means of mobility. The item set was developed and validated through structured interviews with device users and systematic analysis of more than 2,000 patient-centered goals drawn from medical records, and it has been statistically validated for adults aged 18 and older. What distinguishes the FMA is that it is device-independent and burden-free. The same instrument can be applied before, during, or after a service-delivery episode, allowing direct pre/post comparison to gauge the impact of a new device or intervention. It can be self-administered or delivered as an interview, in whole or as selected tasks, and requires no special apparatus or examiner training. Individual results inform clinical decisions, while aggregated, de-identified results can be analyzed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of devices across diagnoses and to support research, quality assurance, and program development.Applications
- Standardized outcome measurement within rehabilitation and assistive technology service-delivery programs.- Evidence generation to support reimbursement and coverage decisions for mobility devices.
- Comparative effectiveness research across devices, diagnoses, and service-delivery models.
- Quality assurance, program development, and accreditation for clinical providers and equipment suppliers.
- Data analytics platforms and registries that track prescription trends and benchmark best-practice outcomes.q
Advantages
- Device-independent design enables consistent measurement and comparison even as a user transitions between different devices or uses none.- Flexible administration (in person, by telephone, or via an online data portal) removes the need for burdensome in-person follow-up visits.
- Measures satisfaction with functional outcomes rather than only device features or task completion, reflecting what users actually value.
- Requires no specialized training or equipment and can be administered by support staff, keeping clinician workload low.
- Reliable and validated, with established test-retest reliability and items that mirror content already collected in a standard clinical evaluation.
Invention Readiness
The FMA is a mature, validated instrument ready for broader deployment and licensing. Its content was derived from structured user interviews and analysis of more than 2,000 documented patient-centered goals, validated against observational reference standards, and confirmed through completed test-retest reliability studies. A multi-site pilot involving practicing clinicians and suppliers demonstrated strong clinical and research utility, and an associated aggregate-data portal showed the ability to identify prescription trends and best-practice outcomes; the tool is presently in active use for outcomes management. Recommended next steps include expanding normative datasets, extending validation to additional populations and diagnoses, conducting longitudinal responsiveness studies, and integrating the instrument into electronic health record and data-portal systems to support scaled, multi-organization adoption.IP Status
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