ASSESSMENT OF FUNCTIONAL STATUS IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC DISEASE

The evaluation of functional status as an outcome for patients with ca rdiac disease has become common practice in both clinical settings and research studies. However,the measurement of functional status lacks conceptual clarity, frequently focuses on only one dimension of functi oning, and overlooks the individuality of the patient. Some measures o f functional status have questionable sensitivity to capture change ov er lime, or the ability to discriminate between groups, and lack repor ts of reliability and validity testing. The purpose of this article is to discuss critical issues related to the evaluation of functional st atus, with a focus on objective and subjective measures of functional status frequently used in cardiac populations.