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 .
Comparative measurement efficiency and sensitivity of five health status instruments for arthritis research.
Five health status instruments were administered in r and om order to 50 arthritis patients before and after total joint arthroplasty . Relative efficiency and sensitivity in measurement of change in pain , mobility and physical function , social role and social activity , and global health were assessed . The instruments had highly correlated scores , but had differences in certain dimensions . Inter-instrument differentials were larger for social and global outcomes than for pain or mobility . NO single instrument consistently outperformed the others . A method for determining relative efficiency is described
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 .