Systematic Review and Appraisal of the Cross-Cultural Validity of Functional Status Assessment Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and appraisal of the cross-cultural adaptation and cross-cultural validity of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and its derivatives, and of the more recent Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) functional status assessment measures (FSAMs) in rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Four electronic medical databases were searched from inception until April 4, 2018 according to the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) group search strategy. Included studies were evaluated using the COSMIN tool for cross-cultural validity and were scored as excellent, good, fair, or poor. RESULTS: Of 58 articles identified by our search strategy and 3 by manual search, 39 were included: 29 described the translation, cultural adaptation, or cross-cultural validity of the HAQ disability index, 8 other HAQ derivatives, and 2 PROMIS measures, representing 22 languages. Of the 39 articles reviewed, 3 examined the cross-cultural validity of translated versions. These studies were rated as follows: 2 as excellent, 3 good, 13 fair, and 21 poor. Two studies examining cross-cultural validity noted differential item functioning (DIF) between Dutch and US populations for the HAQ-II and PROMIS measures, and a third study found DIF between Turkish and UK populations on the HAQ, indicating cultural differences in questionnaire response. CONCLUSION: This review highlights a paucity of data on the cross-cultural validity of FSAMs and the mostly poor- or fair-quality methods by which they were translated and adapted, which needs to be considered when using these measures for multinational clinical trials and for day-to-day use in clinical practice.

2019 American College of Rheumatology Recommended Patient-Reported Functional Status Assessment Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommendations for patient-reported Functional Status Assessment Measures (FSAMs) for use in routine clinical practice in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We convened a workgroup to conduct a systematic review of published literature through March 16, 2017 and abstract FSAM properties. Based upon initial search results and clinical input, we focused on the following FSAMs appropriate for routine clinical use: the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and derived measures and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) tool. We used the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) 4-point scoring method to evaluate each FSAM, allowing for overall level of evidence assessment. We identified FSAMs fulfilling a predefined minimum standard and, through a modified Delphi process, selected preferred FSAMs for regular use in most clinic settings. RESULTS: The search identified 11,835 articles, of which 56 were included in the review. Descriptions of the measures, properties, study quality, level of evidence, and feasibility were abstracted and scored. Following a modified Delphi process, 7 measures fulfilled the minimum standard for regular use in most clinic settings, and 3 measures were recommended: the PROMIS physical function 10-item short form (PROMIS PF10a), the HAQ-II, and the Multidimensional HAQ. CONCLUSION: This work establishes ACR recommendations for preferred RA FSAMs for regular use in most clinic settings. These results will inform clinical practice and can support future ACR quality measure development as well as highlight ongoing research needs.

Rehabilitation Research at the National Institutes of Health:: Moving the Field Forward (Executive Summary).

Approximately 53 million Americans live with a disability. For decades, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been conducting and supporting research to discover new ways to minimize disability and enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities. After the passage of the American With Disabilities Act, the NIH established the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research with the goal of developing and implementing a rehabilitation research agenda. Currently, a total of 17 institutes and centers at NIH invest more than $500 million per year in rehabilitation research. Recently, the director of NIH, Dr Francis Collins, appointed a Blue Ribbon Panel to evaluate the status of rehabilitation research across institutes and centers. As a follow-up to the work of that panel, NIH recently organized a conference under the title "Rehabilitation Research at NIH: Moving the Field Forward." This report is a summary of the discussions and proposals that will help guide rehabilitation research at NIH in the near future.This article is being published almost simultaneously in the following six journals: American Journal of Occupational Therapy, American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Physical Therapy, and Rehabilitation Psychology. Citation information is as follows: Frontera WR, Bean JF, Damiano D, et al. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2017;97(4):393-403.

Relationship of meeting physical activity guidelines with health-related utility.

OBJECTIVE: Health-related utility measures overall health status and quality of life and is commonly incorporated into cost-effectiveness analyses. This study investigates whether attainment of federal physical activity guidelines translates into better health-related utility in adults with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 1,908 adults with or at risk for knee OA participating in the accelerometer ancillary study of the Osteoarthritis Initiative were assessed. Physical activity was measured using 7 days of accelerometer monitoring and was classified as 1) meeting guidelines (≥150 bouted moderate-to-vigorous [MV] minutes per week); 2) insufficiently active (≥1 MV bout[s] per week but below guidelines); or 3) inactive (zero MV bouts per week). A Short Form 6D health-related utility score was derived from patient-reported health status. Relationship of physical activity levels to median health-related utility adjusted for socioeconomic and health factors was tested using quantile regression. RESULTS: Only 13% of participants met physical activity guidelines, and 45% were inactive. Relative to the inactive group, median health-related utility scores were significantly greater for the meeting guidelines group (0.063; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.055, 0.071) and the insufficiently active group (0.059; 95% CI 0.054, 0.064). These differences showed a statistically significant linear trend and strong cross-sectional relationship with physical activity level even after adjusting for socioeconomic and health factors. CONCLUSION: We found a significant positive relationship between physical activity level and health-related utility. Interventions that encourage adults, including persons with knee OA, to increase physical activity even if recommended levels are not attained may improve their quality of life.

Hospice providers' key approaches to support informal caregivers in managing medications for patients in private residences.

CONTEXT: Managing and administering medications to relieve pain and symptoms are common, important responsibilities for informal caregivers of patients receiving end-of-life care at home. However, little is known about how hospice providers prepare and support caregivers with medication-related tasks. OBJECTIVES: This qualitative study explores the key approaches that hospice providers use to facilitate medication management for caregivers. METHODS: Semistructured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 22 providers (14 nurses, four physicians, and four social workers) from four hospice organizations around an urban setting in the midwestern U.S. RESULTS: Based on the interviews, the following five key approaches emerged, constituting how the hospice team collectively helped caregivers manage medications: 1) establishing trust; 2) providing information; 3) promoting self-confidence; 4) offering relief (e.g., provided in-home medication assistance, mobilized supportive resources, and simplified prescriptions); and 5) assessing understanding and performance. Each hospice discipline used multiple approaches. Nurses emphasized tailoring information to individual caregivers and patients, providing in-home assistance to help relieve caregivers, and assessing caregivers' understanding and performance of medication management during home visits. Physicians simplified medication prescriptions to alleviate burden and reassured caregivers using their perceived medical authority. Social workers facilitated medication management by providing emotional support to promote self-confidence and mobilizing resources in caregivers' support networks and the community at large. CONCLUSION: Hospice nurses, physicians, and social workers identified distinct, yet overlapping, approaches in aiding caregivers with medication management. These findings emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork among hospice providers. Future research should investigate how common, standardized, effective, and efficient these approaches are in practice.

Increasing physical activity in patients with arthritis: a tailored health promotion program.

OBJECTIVE: Despite recent studies showing the benefit of physical activity for people with arthritis, the vast majority of persons with arthritis are not sufficiently physically active. The purpose of this report is to describe a tailored health promotion intervention aimed at increasing physical activity among persons with arthritis. The intervention is designed to be useful for health systems and insurers interested in a chronic disease management program that could be disseminated to large populations of arthritis patients. METHODS: The intervention is carried out by a clinician who is designated as the client's physical activity advocate. The approach emphasizes motivational interviewing, individualized goal setting, tailored strategies for increasing physical activity and for monitoring progress, and a plan of 2 years of follow-up. The intervention includes a standardized assessment of barriers to and strengths supporting increased lifestyle physical activity. A randomized, controlled trial is underway to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this intervention. CONCLUSION: This intervention is unique in that it implements a program tailored to the individual that focuses on lifestyle physical activity and long-term monitoring. The approach recognizes that persons with arthritis present with varying levels of motivation for change in physical activity and that behavior change can take a long time to become habitual.

Human occupation for public health promotion: new directions for occupational therapy practice with persons with arthritis.

Occupational therapy seldom reports the outcomes of intervention programs to reflect the impact on public health indicators. Consequently, our professions' effect on public health goals is limited. We propose professional coherence in intervention practices and in reporting of screening, monitoring, and outcome indicators in population-level statistics that will enable occupational therapy to take an integral role in health promotion for people with chronic diseases (or disorders), including those with arthritis, in the 21st century.