Tinetti discussion/clarification

I disagree with your therapist. FYI I am a Physical Therapist of 22 years and am familiar with the Tinetti balance test but I haven't any special training in it's use. However, in principle it makes no sense to me to change the score of one test (in this case Tenneti's standing balance) because of the result of some other test or assessment (functional mobility level). Even though these two examples are somewhat related in what they are testing/assessing, they are still two separate evaluation tools with there own criteria for grading. The only exception of course would be if the Tinetti guidelines actually indicate that one should adjust the score based on functional mobility. If your therapist is concerned that the Tinetti score paints a false picture of the patient's mobility and/or safety status, you could reassure them that the assessment or note you are writing will contain more than just the Tinetti score and should give the reader a true picture of what's going on with that patient. Just my opinion. The more opinions, the better! But here's one more bit of food for thought: More important than one test score for one patient is your relationship with your coworkers - especially the PT you work with. Don't let this issue taint this relationship - it's not worth it.