Physical and Mental Impairment-of-Function Evaluation (PAMIE)

BioPsychoSocial Assessment Tools for the Elderly - Assessment Summary Sheet

Test: Physical and Mental Impairment-of-Function Evaluation (PAMIE)


Year: 1972


Domain: Biological, Psychological, Social


Assessment Tool Category: General Health, Mental Health


Variations/Translations: N/A


Assessment Setting: Clinical


Method of Delivery: Staff-administered questionnaire


Description: The PAMIE is a clinical rating scale that records physical, psychological and social disability in chronically ill, institutionalized elderly patients. It is completed by a caregiver or clinician familiar with the patient. It features 77 items mainly concerned observable behaviours during the preceding week. All but the first three items use a yes/no answer format.


Scoring/Interpretation: Scoring for the first three items differs from the rest. The remaining items are given a Roman numeral, indicating the scale on which it is counted. 10 factors are considered: self-care; belligerence/irritability, mental confusion, anxiety/depression, bedfast/moribund, behavioural deterioration, paranoia/suspicion, sensory and motor function, withdrawn/apathetic, and ambulation. Factor scores may be added to give three or more general scores representing physical infirmity, psychological deterioration and psychological agitation.


Time to Administer: 10-15 minutes


Availability: Contact author (below).


Software: N/A


Website: N/A


Quantitative/Qualitative: Quantitative


Validity (Quantitative): The factor structure of the scale was examined and ten factors were derived. Several of the factors were substantially correlated and a second-order factor analysis provided three factors – physical infirmity (ambulation, sensory and motor functions, bedfastness), psychological deterioration (mental confusion, withdrawal/apathy, deterioration in behaviour/appearance) and psychological agitation (paranoia and suspicion, irritability/belligerence, anxiety/depression). (No values reported)


Reliability (Quantitative): Alpha internal consistency coefficients for the factor scores ranged from 0.67 to 0.91.


References:


Gurel, L., Linn, M.W., & Linn, B.S. (1972). Physical and Mental Impairment-of-Function Evaluation in the aged: the PAMIE scale. J Gerontol, 27, 83-90.


 Comments: N/A