title: Assessing health status quality of life in ALS: comparison of the SIP/ALS-19 with the ALS Functional Rating Scale and the Short Form-12 Health Survey.  ALS C.A.R.E. Study Group. Clinical Assessement, Research, and Education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The progressive loss of function affects the quality of life of the ALS patient. Quality of life depends on a spectrum of factors. Available instruments for assessment include questionnaires developed for generic illness-related disabilities and ALS-specific questionnaires that focus on function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparisons were made between two ALS-specific questionnaires (ALS Functional Rating Scale and SIP/ALS-19) and a generic instrument (Short Form-12) given to 1,513 patients from the (North American) ALS Patient Care Database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SIP/ALS-19 correlates well with the ALS Functional Rating Scale and less well with the Short Form-12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SIP/ALS-19 can be used as an effective surrogate for the ALS Functional Rating Scale, with the advantage that the SIP/ALS-19 also includes questions that encompass the psychological and social domains of quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84132, USA. mbromberg@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bromberg
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile