Research on the individual and community burden of non-fatal injury relies upon valid and reliable measures, suitable for use at the population level, which can accurately predict the long-term outcomes of injury. The Functional Capacity Index (FCI) has been developed as just such a measure and preliminary studies suggest it has the potential to serve as the principal instrument in this context. The FCI maps Abbreviated Injury Scale 1990 Revision unique identifiers into total body scores that reflect expected levels of reduced functional capacity experienced by a person twelve months after sustaining the specified injury. The aim of this study was to test the validity of the FCI by comparing the predicted total body functional capacity with that empirically observed in a sample of people twelve months after their injury. Preliminary results presented here are not sufficiently progressed to be conclusive on this issue, although there is considerable indication that with a more complete analysis the project described here will contribute to the growing body of literature demonstrating the properties of the Index.
Abstract