title: Measuring health in patients with fibromyalgia: content comparison of questionnaires based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the content of outcome measures commonly used to assess health in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) by linking the items of the instruments with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in order to evaluate the adequacy of currently used measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires used in FM were identified in a structured literature search. All concepts included in the items of the questionnaires were linked to ICF categories, according to previously published linking rules, by 2 independent health professionals. The percentages of linked ICF categories addressing the different ICF components were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Generic and symptom-specific instruments were included. From the 296 items contained in all 16 instruments, 447 concepts were extracted and then linked to 52 ICF categories of the component body functions, 1 category of the component body structure, 40 categories of the component activities and participation, and 9 categories of the component environmental factors. More than half of the concepts identified were linked to body function, fewer were linked to activities and participation, and only concepts of 4 instruments were linked to the ICF component environmental factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many concepts were linked to the categories in the ICF component body functions. While linking to the broad category, purportedly similar instruments often covered widely varying areas of function at more fine-grained levels of detail. Some categories, such as environmental factors, were barely covered by any of the instruments and might constitute an important aspect of health deserving better coverage and future development.
authors.affiliation: Vienna University, Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Rheumatology, Vienna, Austria. birgit.prodinger@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prodinger
authors.forename: Alarcos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cieza
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mease
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boonen
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerschan-Schindl
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fialka-Moser
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smolen
authors.forename: Gerold
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stucki
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Machold
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stamm
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome