Further development of a physical function scale on a MDHAQ [corrected] for standard care of patients with rheumatic diseases.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze a further version of the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) with 10 activities of daily living (ADL), which is more easily completed by patients and scored by health professionals than a 14-ADL MDHAQ; and to determine if the 10-ADL MDHAQ would be as informative as the 14-ADL MDHAQ, the 20-ADL HAQ, and the 8-ADL modified HAQ (MHAQ), which is more easily reviewed and scored than the HAQ, but scores are routinely 0.3-0.5 units lower than HAQ scores.


METHODS
In standard care, 144 consecutive patients completed a HAQ, which includes a MHAQ, and 14-ADL MDHAQ, which includes a 10-ADL MDHAQ subscale, all scored 0-3. These scales were analyzed for mean and median scores, Cronbach's alpha to estimate internal consistency, factor analysis to estimate construct validity, and cumulative percentile scores.


RESULTS
Mean (median) scores for the HAQ, MHAQ, 14-ADL MDHAQ, and 10-ADL MDHAQ physical function scales were 0.80 (0.75), 0.48 (0.38), 0.83 (0.79), and 0.73 (0.70), respectively. Internal consistency of each scale was very good. The lowest 25 percentile score was 0.16 on the HAQ, 0.0 on the MHAQ, 0.36 on the 14-ADL MDHAQ, and 0.20 on the 10-ADL MDHAQ.


CONCLUSIONS
The MDHAQ physical function scale of 10 ADL is more easily completed and scored than the 14-ADL MDHAQ or 20-ADL HAQ, while providing similar information.
Pincus
Theodore
T
Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. t.pincus@vanderbilt.edu
Sokka
Tuulikki
T
Kautiainen
Hannu
H
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*