A Comparison between the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire and the Barthel Index in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

ent Que$tlonnal,. (HAQ) and a seIf-admlnlste'ed version of the Barthel Index (81). The,e was no slgniflCailt disagreement between the two methods. although the HAQ showed a tendency to ove,eat".thedegr'" of disability slightly. The flndlngssuggeat that the BI Is as ,ellable as the HAQ In thẽ of functional Independence with .actlvltlea of dallyliVInC In~lents wlthRA. It also has thẽ .of eVal~bIadde' and bowel control which Is often affected In these patients. Most the... plsts~'" f1JOf8 familiar with the BI than with the HAQ. The BI could, therefore. be recommended for me&surlflg'....bIIltatlon .Ins In patients with RA.