Are the contents of treatment outcomes in fibromyalgia trials represented in the International Classification Of Functioning, Disability, and Health?
OBJECTIVE
To identify the concepts contained in treatment outcomes of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for interventions in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as external reference.


METHODS
RCTs between 1992 and 2001 were located in MEDLINE and selected according to predefined eligibility criteria. The outcome measures were extracted and the concepts within the outcome measures were identified and linked to the ICF using a content-analytical approach.


RESULTS
Forty-two trials on FM were included. Twenty-seven different questionnaires were extracted. Of all, 79.2% (N=236) of the clinical and physiologic outcomes could be linked to 31 different ICF categories and 84.7% (N=964) of the concepts contained in the health-status questionnaire to 113 ICF categories.


CONCLUSIONS
The ICF provides a useful external reference to identify the concepts contained in outcome measures used in RCTs in FM.
Offenbächer
Martin
M
Institute of Medical Psychology, Medical School, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Cieza
Alarcos
A
Brockow
Thomas
T
Amann
Edda
E
Kollerits
Barbara
B
Stucki
Gerold
G
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012015:Reference Standards; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome