Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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There has been an exponential growth of publications relating to the development and application of health measurement instruments. Condition-specific measures have formed a large part of this trend. This article questions the rationale behind the concept of condition-specific disability, a common domain in such measures, taking musculoskeletal medicine as an example. ⋯ Furthermore, attributing disability to a specific health condition of interest potentially limits insights into important interventions such as managing co-morbid interactions and targeting barriers in the physical, social, and attitudinal environment. Efforts to identify regionally relevant item content and to measure participation in daily life are a step in the right direction. Attribution is not needed for either.