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 .
Comparisons of Five Health Status Instruments for Orthopedic Evaluation
This study represents a long-term effort to find optimal techniques for evaluating outcome in patients who have undergone total joint arthroplasty . Sensitivity of five health status question naires was studied in a longitudinal evaluation of orthopedic surgery . The question naires ( Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales [ AIMS ] , Functional Status Index [ FSI ] ,  Health  Assessment  Question naire [ HAQ ] , Index of  Well  Being [ IWB ] , and Sickness Impact Profile  [ SIP ] ) were administered to 38 patients with end-stage arthritis at three points in time : two weeks before hip or knee arthroplasty , and at three-month and 12- to 15-month follow-up . Response values ( i.e. , changes within patients ) were calculated on four scales : global health , pain , mobility , and social function . By the three-month follow-up , most instruments detected large mean responses in global health , pain scores , and mobility . Smaller changes on these scales were found between three and 12 to 15 months . Social function showed small to modest gains at successive follow-ups . St and ardized response means were calculated to assess sensitivity to detect change . Confidence intervals for these indices were constructed using a jackknife procedure , and significance tests were performed by pairing selected indices . Finally , the study projected sample sizes required to assess a new therapy , using each response . These statistical tools facilitated comparisons among instruments and may prove useful in other setting
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 .