title: Handicap in inflammatory arthritis.
abstract: Two instruments measuring handicap were evaluated and compared with clinical, laboratory and disability measures. Participants were 133 patients attending a rheumatology follow-up clinic in a district general hospital, of whom 102 were followed up after 3 months. Measurements included acute-phase response, early morning stiffness, pain, wellbeing, joint involvement (impairments), the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (disability), the Disease Repercussion Profile and the London Handicap Scale (handicap). A substantial burden of disability and handicap was recorded. There were moderate correlations between impairments (0.4 < rho < 0.6), and moderate to strong correlations between disability and handicap measures (0.4 < rho < 0.8). Correlations between impairment and disability/handicap were weak (rho < 0.4). Mean changes in all variables over 3 months were small, and none was statistically significant. A comprehensive description of the impact of disease and treatment requires measurements to be made of impairments, disabilities and handicaps. The use of clinical and laboratory variables alone may be misleading.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Royal Free Hospital Medical School, London.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Harwood
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebrahim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein