Volume 22, Issue 3 , Pages 144-148, March 1999
A patient-specific approach for measuring functional status in low back pain☆1☆2☆3☆4☆5☆6☆7☆8
Abstract
Background: Activities and their importance for daily living vary widely between patients. Patient-specific measurement of functional status means that the evaluation is focused on activities that an individual patient selected as main complaints. Objective: To develop and to evaluate a patient-specific approach for measuring functional status in low back pain. Study Design: A cohort of 150 patients was measured at baseline and 12 weeks later. Methods: The feasibility of the patient-specific approach was evaluated in patients with nonspecific low back pain. We used effect size statistics to evaluate responsiveness in terms of sensitivity to change and specificity to change. Results: The selection procedure for the main complaint was feasible but labor intensive. The patient-specific approach was able to detect changes in complaints that were highly relevant for the patients. The patient-specific approach appeared to be more sensitive to change but less specific to change compared with other instruments. Conclusions: On the basis of this study it would be valuable to apply the patient-specific approach in future studies, also with the aim of further evaluation. In the meantime a number of practical problems of the method need to be resolved. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22:144–8)
Keywords: Low Back Pain, Responsiveness, Patient Preference, Functional Assessment, Activities of Daily Living
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☆1 J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22:144–8
☆2 bDepartment of Physiotherapy, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
☆3 cDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
☆4 dInstitute for Rehabilitation Research, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.
☆5 e“Hogeschool Limburg,” Department of Physiotherapy, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
☆6 fDepartment of General Practice, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
☆7 Submit reprint requests to: A.J. Beurskens, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
☆8 Supported by the Fund for Investigative Medicine from the Dutch Medical Insurance Board.
PII: S0161-4754(99)70127-2
© 1999 JMPT. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Volume 22, Issue 3 , Pages 144-148, March 1999
