Introduction to the FIM(TM)

The FIM(TM)* (Guide for the Uniform Data Set for Medical Rehabilitation, 1996) is the most widely accepted functional assessment measure in use in the rehabilitation community. The FIM(TM) is an 18-item ordinal scale, used with all diagnoses within a rehabilitation population. It is viewed as most useful for assessment of progress during inpatient rehabilitation.

The FIM(TM) has become proprietary, and therefore the scale, syllabus, and training materials are not provided in the COMBI. For further information on the FIM(TM), please contact:

Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation
270 Northpointe Parkway, Suite 300
Amherst, New York 14228
(716) 817-7800 FAX (716) 568-0037
email: info@udsmr.org
web site: http://www.udsmr.org

FIM(TM) is a trademark of the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation, a division of UB Foundation Activities, Inc.

*For over 15 years, FIM was an acronym for "Functional Independence Measure". It is still often cited as this in the literature. The current owners of the FIM(TM) instrument have decided that the acronym FIM(TM) no longer stands for anything and should be referred to only as FIM(TM).

Information regarding the FIM(TM) was contributed by Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Please contact Jerry Wright at for questions regarding the presented information.

If you find the information in the COMBI useful, please mention it when citing sources of information. The information on the FIM(TM) may be cited as:

Wright, J. (2000). The FIM(TM). The Center for Outcome Measurement in Brain Injury. http://www.tbims.org/combi/FIM ( accessed ).