WORKSHOP REPORT - HEALTH-STATUS INSTRUMENTS UTILITIES

Rheumatologists and other interested professionals at the OMERACT II c onference formed small groups to discuss whether it was sensible to us e a generic health status instrument in musculoskeletal disease trials . These instruments promise the possibility of comparison of health st atus between disease states. However, data is lacking on validity of t he current generation of instruments to support their use. Participant s had little personal experience with these instruments. After inspect ion, many voiced strong concerns over comprehensiveness and responsive ness. Many dimensions of health relevant for patients with this group of diseases were felt to be underrepresented. The dimension of adverse effects was universally absent, although this is more a problem of st ate of the art in trial methodology than a problem of these measures. Although there is little data, the small number of response categories in the dimensions covered, plus the lack of comprehensiveness, make i t likely that responsiveness will be low. Further research, especially the adoption of one or more generic measures alongside specific measu res, both in trials and in observational studies, is necessary to vali date and improve the current generic measures. Until that time, valid conclusions and health policy regarding musculoskeletal diseases canno t be based on generic measures of health status.