No difference was found in the strength of correlation between validation against the most similar construct versus validation against the least similar construct .
It is concluded that the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale ( AIMS ) is the most suitable instrument for the assessment of disabilities in personal care
OBJECTIVES The first aim was to make an inventory of available instruments and question naires for the assessment of  disabilities  in personal care in patients with rheumatic disorders .
The second aim was to investigate which of these instruments have acceptable , method ological quality with regard to reliability , validity and responsiveness .
The third aim was to investigate the assumption that convergent validity results in stronger correlations when vali date d against a more similar construct .
Which outcome measures should be used in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials? Clinical and quality-of-life measures' responsiveness to treatment in a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE To determine the discriminant validity of the core set of outcome measures proposed by the American College of Rheumatology ( ACR ) and the Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials ( OMERACT ) conference committee to be used in clinical trials of rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) . METHODS Utilizing data from a multicenter r and omized double-blind clinical trial of low-dose cyclosporine and placebo in RA , we estimated the relative efficiency ( RE ) of measures to detect a treatment effect ( relative to tender joint count , which was assigned a value of 1 ) . Four pain measures ( 10-cm visual analog scale [ VAS ] , 5-point categorical scale , Health Assessment Question naire [ HAQ ] pain index , Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales [ AIMS ] pain score ) and 3 quality -of-life measures ( Problem Elicitation Technique [ PET ] , HAQ , AIMS )  were compared . RESULTS Physician and patient global measures were the most responsive instruments , although neither was statistically superior to tender joint count . Swollen joint count , grip strength , pain measured on a 10-cm VAS , and functional status as measured by the PET and HAQ were all of intermediate responsiveness . Morning stiffness , 5-point pain scale , and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were the least responsive instruments . CONCLUSION This study provides further evidence to support the core set of outcome measures proposed by the ACR and OMERACT
No difference was found in the strength of correlation between validation against the most similar construct versus validation against the least similar construct .
It is concluded that the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale ( AIMS ) is the most suitable instrument for the assessment of disabilities in personal care
OBJECTIVES The first aim was to make an inventory of available instruments and question naires for the assessment of  disabilities  in personal care in patients with rheumatic disorders .
The second aim was to investigate which of these instruments have acceptable , method ological quality with regard to reliability , validity and responsiveness .
The third aim was to investigate the assumption that convergent validity results in stronger correlations when vali date d against a more similar construct .