The Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) is a patient-reported outcome measure to assess functional limitations caused by foot and ankle conditions. It focuses on how pain or instability affects daily activities like walking, climbing stairs, or navigating uneven ground.
Designed for use in orthopedic and rehabilitation settings, the FADI helps clinicians evaluate progress, guide treatment, and track outcomes for injuries such as ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, or post-surgical recovery.
FADI Structure and Scoring
The FADI includes 26 items designed to evaluate how foot and ankle conditions affect a patient’s ability to perform daily activities and manage pain. It has two subscales:
- Activity subscale: 22 items related to daily functions such as walking, climbing stairs, and standing
- Pain subscale: 4 pain-related items that assess discomfort tied to foot and ankle activity
Each item is scored from 0 (unable to do) to 4 (no difficulty). The total score is then converted to a percentage, with higher percentages indicating better function and lower disability.
This straightforward format makes the FADI easy to administer, interpret, and use consistently across clinical and rehabilitation settings.
Who Uses FADI?
The FADI is intended for patients with foot or ankle conditions that affect mobility or function. It’s commonly used in:
Providers often rely on it to evaluate baseline function, monitor recovery, and measure treatment effectiveness over time.
Practical Use and Clinical Value
The FADI is quick to administer on paper or digitally, and fits easily into routine clinical workflows. Providers use it to:
- Evaluate baseline function
- Monitor recovery over time
- Measure treatment effectiveness
Its focus on real-life tasks makes it especially useful for aligning care with patient experience. Scoring is simple, and results are easy to interpret.
The FADI offers clear insight into functional limitations, helping guide care decisions and track progress across orthopedics, sports medicine, and rehabilitation settings.
Reliability and Validity
The FADI is well-documented in clinical literature for its ability to assess function in foot and ankle conditions. While its responsiveness can vary by population and setting, it remains a useful and practical tool. As with any outcome measure, consistent application and interpretation are essential for meaningful use.
Collect FADI Data Seamlessly with PatientIQ
Capturing Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) data is only the first step. With PatientIQ, you can:
- Automate survey distribution
- Integrate results into your EHR
- Access real-time insights that support clinical decisions and quality reporting
Whether you're tracking recovery after surgery or evaluating long-term treatment outcomes, PatientIQ makes it easier to manage and act on patient-reported data, without adding to your team’s workload.
Ready to simplify PRO collection and put your data to work? Request a demo today.
