Epub: Rabadi & Vincent. Comparison of the Kurtkze Expanded Disability Status Scale and the Functional Independence Measure: measures of multiple sclerosis-related disability. Disabil Rehabil. 2013 Apr 19.
Background: MS is a disease which has a variable clinical presentation followed by a variable clinical course. Therefore, accuracy of clinical rating scales to measure disability at initial clinical presentation and during follow-up visits is essential to accurately capture the variability inherent in this disease. This is particularly vital when attempting to identify the efficacy of interventions.
Objective: This observational study in veterans with MS compared the Kurtkze Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Total Functional Independence Measure (TFIM) scale as measures of MS-related disability.
Methods: They retrospectively reviewed the electronic charts of 76 veterans with MS who were regularly followed in heir VA MS clinic.
Results: The EDSS score accurately measured MS-related impairment at initial evaluation and follow-up relative to an Impairment Index. However, the EDSS score did not change over time, compared to the TFIM suggesting reduced sensitivity of the EDSS for detecting change in MS-related disability over time.
Conclusions: This suggests TFIM scale is a more sensitive measure of MS-related disability than EDSS for use in future MS clinical trials.
