The Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) was developed for monitoring patients with dementia. It can be used to track deterioration in any patient with a debilitating disease. The author is from New York University Medical Center in New York City.
|
Level |
Functioning |
Stage |
|
1 |
normal (no subjective or objective difficulties) |
1 |
|
2 |
forgets location of objects; subjective work difficulties |
2 |
|
3 |
decreased job function evident to co-workers; difficulty traveling to a new location |
3 |
|
4 |
decreased ability to perform a complex task |
4 |
|
5 |
needs assistance in choosing proper clothes |
5 |
|
6 |
needs assistance in putting on clothes |
6a |
|
7 |
unable to bathe properly |
6b |
|
8 |
unable to handle the mechanics of toileting |
6c |
|
9 |
urine incontinence |
6d |
|
10 |
fecal incontinence |
6e |
|
11 |
can only speak 1 to 5 words per day |
7a |
|
12 |
no intelligible words |
7b |
|
13 |
bed or chair bound (nonambulatory) |
7c |
|
14 |
unable to sit up without assistance (independently) |
7d |
|
15 |
unable to smile |
7e |
|
16 |
unable to hold head up |
7f |
Interpretation:
• Stages 6 and 7 indicate moderate to severe disability for the patient.
Limitations:
• The system assumes a somewhat sequential deterioration in function.
Implementation options:
(1) show all 16 levels, with stage based on worst level of impairment
(2) sequential, only showing the next level if there is failure of the previous
(3) divide stages in milestones with subcategories
Purpose: To evaluate a patient's functional ability based on the Functional Assessment Stage (FAST).
Specialty: Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation
Objective: severity, prognosis, stage, disease progression
ICD-10: F00, F01, F02, F03,
