It was decided to develop a comprehensive disability score specifically designed for patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV); the collection of information included in the score should not impose any further intervention beyond what is routinely performed. So a new questionnaire was created (called the Multi-INdependency Dimensions (MIND) that included 3 sections (nurse, physiotherapist and medical doctor), 11 categories and 18 items. Each question was adapted to have a 5 item Likert scale.