AM-PAC Domains

The AM-PAC instrument examines a set of 269 functional activities that are likely to be encountered by most adults during daily routines within the context of either an inpatient episode of care or outpatient post acute services. (i.e., the item bank). Because functional activity is multidimensional, AM-PAC item banks are organized into three functional areas: Basic Mobility (131 items), Daily Activity (88 items), and Applied Cognitive (50 items). Items for the AM-PAC have been drawn from two sources: (1) a set of new items that examine the functional content domains listed above; and (2) items from existing outcome instruments used in rehabilitation and post acute programs. The items in the AM-PAC assess multiple aspects (i.e., difficulty, assistance, limitations) of an individual’s ability to perform specific daily activities.

Factor analytic work identified three distinct, interpretable factors that accounted for 72% of the variance: Applied Cognitive (44%), Daily Activities (19%) and Basic Mobility (9%).  (Haley et al. 2004). Using Item Response Theory (IRT), items in each domain were scaled along a continuum of item difficulty.  Items that were redundant or did not fit the model were eliminated.  The remaining items formed the AM-PAC item banks, which included a wide range of items calibrated along a continuum of difficulty.

Basic Mobility Domain:

  • Bend/stand/carry
  • Ambulation
  • Transfers
  • Wheelchair skills

Daily Activity Domain:

  • Grooming & Hygiene
  • Feeding and Meal Preparation
  • Personal Care

Applied Cognitive Domain:

  • Communication
  • Print Information
  • New learning and applying knowledge