Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness .
Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery , and to evaluate , synthesis e and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified .
Development of a methodological PubMed search filter for finding studies on measurement properties of measurement instruments
Objectives For the measurement of  patient-reported outcomes , such as ( health-related ) quality of life , often many measurement instruments exist that intend to measure the same construct . To facilitate instrument selection , our aim was to develop a highly sensitive search filter for finding studies on measurement properties of measurement instruments in PubMed and a more precise search filter that needs less abstract s to be screened , but at a higher risk of missing relevant studies . Methods A r and om sample of 10,000 PubMed records ( 01 - 01 - 1990 to 31 - 12 - 2006 ) was used as a gold st and ard . Studies on measurement properties were identified using an exclusion filter and h and search ing . Search terms were selected from the relevant records in the gold st and ard as well as from 100 systematic review s of measurement properties and combined based on sensitivity and precision . The performance of the filters was tested in the gold st and ard as well as in two validation sets , by calculating sensitivity , precision , specificity , and number needed to read . Results We identified 116 studies on measurement properties in the gold st and ard . The sensitive search filter was able to retrieve 113 of these 116 studies ( sensitivity 97.4 % , precision 4.4 % ) . The precise search filter had a sensitivity of 93.1 % and a precision of 9.4 % . Both filters performed very well in the validation sets . Conclusion The use of these search filters will contribute to evidence -based selection of measurement instruments in all medical fields
Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness .
Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery , and to evaluate , synthesis e and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified .