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 .
Validity and reliability of the twenty-eight-joint count for the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis activity.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the validity of the 28-joint count for assessment of joint involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) . METHODS Joint involvement as determined by the 28- and the 66/68-joint count was compared using data from 735 prospect ively studied RA patients . RESULTS The joints included in the 28-joint count were more commonly involved than other joints , and findings from the 28-joint count correlated highly with those from the 66/68-joint count in all analyses . CONCLUSION The 28-joint count is a reliable and valid measure for joint assessment . It is easier to perform than the 66/68-joint count , and it addresses the joints that are critically involved
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 .