[Use of outcome measures in physical medicine/rheumatological rehabilitation. Results of a questionnaire study].

BACKGROUND: As part of the EU-project ProESOR (Project for the European Standardisation of Outcome Measurement in Rehabilitation), a survey was undertaken to investigate the use of Outcome Measures (OM) within rehabilitation across Europe. This paper presents some of the Danish results of this survey.

AIM: Evaluate the extent of use of OMs in rehabilitation.

MATERIAL: All 37 Rheumatology/Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation departments and institutions in Denmark.

METHOD: A questionnaire was mailed to the institutions. This included questions about the institution and its personnel, and nine diagnostic groups: Low back pain, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord lesions, stroke, traumatic brain injury, hip and knee replacement, and lower limb amputees, with estimation of the number of patients treated and the extent of use of OMs.

RESULTS: The majority of the departments treated more than 200 in- and out-patients per year. Patients with low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis were the largest patient groups, followed by patients with hip and knee replacement and stroke. OMs were most frequently used with rheumatoid arthritis and, to a lesser extent, patients with low back pain. Although many departments used one or more OM, several did not use any at all. For each diagnostic group more OMs were used if the patient was treated in a department specialised for patients with the particular diagnosis. More OMs were used with patients who tended to have longer inpatient stays.

CONCLUSION: There is little consensus regarding which OMs should be used. We recommend that this challenge be taken up.