Only a limited number of the identified instruments for the assessment of impairments is both reliable and valid .
The objective of this study is to provide a critical overview of available instruments to assess impairments in patients with rheumatic disorders , and to recommend reliable and valid instruments for use in allied health care and rehabilitation medicine .
Evaluation of a functional index and an articular index in ankylosing spondylitis.
We describe an index of functional impairment and a system of scoring joint tenderness for use in the assessment of ankylosing spondylitis . The functional index consists of 20 questions and the articular index is based on the scoring of a total of 10 joint responses after movement or firm digital pressure . These indices are simple to establish and not time consuming . They have a high degree of intra- and interobserver reproducibility . The indices showed changes in short term clinical trials of antiinflammatory drugs ; these changes were highly correlated with the patient 's overall assessment of his own clinical condition
Only a limited number of the identified instruments for the assessment of impairments is both reliable and valid .
The objective of this study is to provide a critical overview of available instruments to assess impairments in patients with rheumatic disorders , and to recommend reliable and valid instruments for use in allied health care and rehabilitation medicine .