A Comparison between the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire and the Barthel Index in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

1995 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 253-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M O Bakheit ◽  
S R Harries ◽  
R G Hull
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Barthel Index ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Health Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Degree Of Disability ◽  
Significant Disagreement ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

Disability was measured in 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and a self-administered version of the Barthel index (BI). There was no significant disagreement between the two methods, although the HAQ showed a tendency to overestimate the degree of disability slightly. The findings suggest that the B1 is as reliable as the HAQ in the assessment of functional independence with activities of daily living in patients with RA. it also has the advantage of evaluating bladder and bowel control which is often affected in these patients. Most therapists are more familiar with the B1 than with the HAQ. The B1 could, therefore, be recommended for measuring rehabilitation gains in patients with RA.

Relationship Between Arterial Stiffness and Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients without Overt Arterial Disease

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 946-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL A. CRILLY ◽  
HAZEL J. CLARK ◽  
VINOD KUMAR ◽  
NEIL W. SCOTT ◽  
ALAN G. MacDONALD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Arterial Stiffness ◽  
Health Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Arterial Disease ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

Objective.To quantify the relationship between Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability and arterial stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods.A consecutive series of 114 patients with RA but without overt arterial disease, aged 40–65 years, were recruited from rheumatology clinics. A research nurse measured blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness (heart rate-adjusted augmentation index), fasting lipids, glucose, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and rheumatoid factor (RF). A self-completed patient questionnaire included HAQ, damaged joint count, EuroQol measure of health outcome, and Godin physical activity score. Multiple linear regression (MLR) adjusted for age, sex, smoking pack-years, cholesterol, mean arterial BP, physical activity, daily fruit and vegetable consumption, arthritis duration, ESR, and RA criteria.Results.Mean age was 54 years (81% women) with a median HAQ of 1.13 (interquartile range 0.50; 1.75). Median RA duration was 10 years, 83% were RF-positive, and median ESR was 16 mm/h. Mean arterial stiffness was 31.5 (SD 7.7), BP 125/82 mm Hg, cholesterol 5.3 mmol/l, and 24% were current smokers. Current therapy included RA disease-modifying agents (90%), prednisolone (11%), and antihypertensive therapy (18%). Arterial stiffness was positively correlated with HAQ (r = 0.42; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.56). On MLR, a 1-point increase in HAQ disability was associated with a 2.8 increase (95% CI 1.1 to 4.4; p = 0.001) in arterial stiffness. Each additional damaged joint was associated with a 0.17 point increase (95% CI 0.04 to 0.29; p = 0.009) in arterial stiffness. The relationship between EuroQol and arterial stiffness was not statistically significant.Conclusion.In patients with RA who are free of overt arterial disease, higher RA disability is associated with increased arterial stiffness independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and RA characteristics.

scholarly journals Persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis Challenge the Relevance of the Health Assessment Questionnaire: A Qualitative Study of Patient Perception

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ebbevi ◽  
Anna Essén ◽  
Helena Hvitfeldt Forsberg
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Functional Ability ◽  
Health Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Health Perceptions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Questionnaire Disability

Background. The Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ) is widely used to measure functional ability in persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The instrument was developed with limited involvement from persons with RA, and their perception of the instrument has not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to explore how persons with RA experience the use of the HAQ in care. Methods. Forty persons with RA were purposefully recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were then analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Results. The participants questioned the relevance of the HAQ but nevertheless experienced that the instrument had a profound effect on their understanding of health and how care is delivered. The analysis resulted in three themes: Problems with individual items, meaning of the summative score, and effects on care and health perceptions. Conclusions. To make the HAQ relevant to persons with RA, it needs to be revised or to include an option to select items most meaningful to the respondent. To ensure relevance, the HAQ update should preferably be co-created by researchers, clinicians and persons with RA.

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