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Rehabilitation, unlike other medical specialties, has no equivalent to an objective blood test or an X-ray to help measure or direct the results of treatment. Current assessment tools are not well-equipped to 1) identify patient progress at low or high limits of function; 2) form a basis for comparison of gains between patients, facilities or levels of care; and 3) direct patient-specific treatments. As a result, there is a pressing need for a quantitative, objective, standardized assessment tool that reliably measures patient progress across the full range of rehabilitation and recovery.
After years of development by many experts, and millions of dollars of ongoing investment, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has developed the Ability Quotient™ (or AQ™) tool, an outcomes assessment system that is fueled by a comprehensive suite of customized software. The AQ is the most sensitive, objective and predictive system in our field.
The AQ system has the potential to:
- Inform decisions regarding the most effective therapeutic interventions.
- Support a more efficient allocation of resources.
- Direct patient referral to the most appropriate level of care.
- Facilitate better, faster, reliable patient outcomes.
The AQ system is poised to reform the field of rehabilitation and change the trajectory of patient recoveries — allowing clinicians, scientists and insurers to better measure relevant outcomes, as well as predict patient progress, care and cost.
Current Progress:
In 2020, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab expanded the pilot of the AQ system to include all of the hospital’s adult inpatient services, a study population that consisted of more than 3,000 patients. This expansion marked the beta testing phase of the AQ system throughout a large active inpatient environment.