SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Inpatient Ambulation as a Predictor of Hospital Outcomes

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This retrospective cohort study from the Medical University of South Carolina examined whether inpatient ambulation predicts better hospital outcomes. Because hospitalized patients often remain highly immobile, the authors focused on mobility as a modifiable factor linked to complications, longer stays, poorer discharge disposition, and higher mortality. They used the AM-PAC IMSF (“6 Clicks”), a validated mobility assessment, to track changes in patient function.<br /><br />The study included adult inpatient discharges from September to December 2023. The main exposure was nursing documentation of ambulation, and the outcomes were improvement in AM-PAC score, discharge to home versus facility, and length of stay.<br /><br />Key findings showed very high documentation compliance after the nursing workflow was implemented: 96.6% of discharged patients had both an initial and follow-up AM-PAC score. Among patients whose initial AM-PAC score indicated they could ambulate, 90% had documented ambulation during the hospital stay.<br /><br />After adjusting for age, gender, race, zip code, marital status, Charlson comorbidity index, and diagnosis group, patients with documented ambulation were:<br />- 1.3 times more likely to improve their AM-PAC score,<br />- 75% less likely to be discharged to a facility,<br />- and had a 20% shorter length of stay.<br /><br />The authors conclude that ambulation is strongly associated with better inpatient outcomes and may be a useful target for hospital mobility initiatives. They also note plans to collect more detailed ambulation data and expand mobility efforts through an interprofessional student training program.

Asset Subtitle

Leonidas N. Walthall IV

Meta Tag

Author List Jingwen Zhang, Justin Marsden, Leonidas N. Walthall IV, Marc Heincelman, Meghan Thomas

Category Innovations

Concept Inpatient Mobility

Concept AM-PAC IMSF

Concept Documented Ambulation

Concept Immobility

Concept Discharge Disposition

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Medical University of South Carolina

Presenting Author Leonidas N. Walthall IV

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

inpatient ambulation

hospital mobility

AM-PAC IMSF

retrospective cohort study

nursing documentation

patient outcomes

length of stay

discharge disposition

mobility assessment

Charlson comorbidity index

Inpatient Mobility

AM-PAC IMSF

Documented Ambulation

Immobility

Discharge Disposition