title: Arthritis impact measurement scales in a community-based rheumatoid arthritis population.
abstract: The objective of this study was to use the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) in a community-based rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population to describe the patient population, analyse health status changes and predict survival. The AIMS was assessed in 91 RA patients in a community-based RA population in Kuusamo, Northern Finland. A 5-year follow-up study was performed. The mean AIMS scores in this series of RA patients were comparable to those reported in previous studies. Dexterity correlated with disease duration. Lower extremity function was well preserved and only slightly dependent on disease duration. The AIMS scores changed for the worse in all the subscales over the follow-up period. Of all the AIMS subscale scores, poor functional status, as measured by the AIMS lower extremity function and social activity subscales, best predicted mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Växjö Central Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Söderlin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakala
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate