Open AccessUse of self ‐ administered joint counts in the evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis patients
Author(s) -
Abraham Noval,
Blackmon Deborah,
Jackson James R,
Bradley Laurence A,
Lorish Christopher D,
Alarcón Graciela S
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1790060206
Subject(s) - learned helplessness , rheumatoid arthritis , medicine , physical therapy , joint (building) , reliability (semiconductor) , arthritis , convergent validity , joint pain , validity , psychometrics , clinical psychology , architectural engineering , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , internal consistency
The validity and reliability of self‐administered joint counts are reported in a group of32 rheumatoid arthritis patients being followed at a university‐based practice located in theSoutheast region of the United States, serving low to middle income urban and rural patients. Adequate inter‐rater reliability among the patients' and the research assistant's joint counts was obtained for upper (r = 0.74), lower (r = 0.96), and upper and lower extremities (r = 0.89). Convergent validity correlations for pain, helplessness, and the Joint Alignment and Motion scale were found to be adequate. We conclude that rheumatoid arthritis patients can reliably assess their joint counts. Self joint counts along with other validated self‐reportsof health status may be applicable to busy outpatient settings, as well as in clinical research.