VALIDITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF SELF-ADMINISTERED JOINT COUNTS - A PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP-STUDY IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective. To investigate the reproducibility and validity of self-adm inistered joint counts (JC), measuring tenderness, swelling and the co mbination of both, in a longitudinal study, Methods. At the outpatient department a form self-administered by patients (SAI-form), was used to measure joint involvement. Concurrent joint examinations were perfo rmed by an assessor. The JC and scores for groups of joints by assesso rs were correlated with those by patients. As a retest the form was co mpleted again by the patients within 10 days. Correlations between the JC measured by the test and retest were computed to investigate repro ducibility. Results. Correlations between test and retest were high (> 0.7), Correlations between JC and groups of joints measured by the as sessors and by the patients were moderate (0.6), Correlations with oth er disease activity variables did not differ between assessors' and pa tients' joint examination scores. Conclusion. The patient-administered joint examination was reproducible; however, correlation with the ass essors' joint examination was moderate. The value of the self-administ ered joint count needs further examination and cannot yet replace the assessor's joint examination.