Because FIM total scores at the time of hospital admission and discharge are highly correlated, FIM total scores at the time of hospital admission can be used to establish a rehabilitation program, to inform the patient and family about the possibility of recovery, and to assess the amount and quality of care given in the home or discharge placement.

The functional levels of affected patients at admission stratified by the FIM scale roughly predict the degree of functional gain after rehabilitation in survivors with a first episode of ischemic stroke. Moderately affected patients will benefit from intensive rehabilitation. These findings may be useful for rehabilitation triage.