A COMPARISON OF 5 HEALTH-STATUS INSTRUMENTS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMICLUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE)

The aim of the present investigation was to assess and compare health status instruments in SLE. One hundred and twenty-five patients comple ted five health status instruments: the Health Assessment Questionnair e (HAQ), Functional Ability Index, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), t he Disability Days Measure (DDM), the Centre for Epidemiological Studi es Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Shor t Form Health Survey during their Clinic visit. Disease activity was m easured using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). All instruments described a spectrum of quality of life outcomes in these patients. A n inter-instrument correlation analysis revealed that components of th e MOS correlated significantly with each of the other instruments used . There was no correlation between any of the instruments used and the SLEDAI. We conclude that health status assessment as measured by the MOS short form is a valid independent outcome measure in patients with SLE.