Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie
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Clinical Trial
[Structural validity of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) in patients with rheumatic diseases].
Quality of life is gaining relevance as a criterion of success in therapeutic outcome studies. In order to record quality of life, disease-specific instruments are being used as well as generic instruments. Generic instruments offer the possibility to compare outcome among different indications; however for this it is necessary to prove the differential factorial validity of the instrument's structure. ⋯ The generic SF-36 show sufficient factorial validity. From this point of view there is no objection to using the SF-36 in patients with rheumatic diseases. Indeed the use of the SF summary scales as a representation of (uncorrelated) physical and mental health must be questioned critically.
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Clinical Trial
[Translation and psychometric testing of the Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) for use in German-speaking regions].
The evaluation of quality of life is an established criterion for evaluation of therapeutic measures. Starting from the English-speaking area a great number of different patient-based outcomes measures were developed to specifically question disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the results of treatment. Because of the lack of a German measurement tool for patients with rotator cuff disease the translation and the psychometric testing following international guidelines of the 34-item, multidimensional, English Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) was undertaken. ⋯ The questionnaire was incompletely answered by 16 patients (15.6%). A total of 120 items (3.5%) were left unanswered. After successful translation and psychometric testing of the German version of the Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) a multidimensional measurement tool for evaluating the quality of life of German-speaking patients with pathology of the rotator cuff is available.
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Comparative Study
[Lupus in Germany: analysis within the German lupus self-help organization (LULA)].
During the last few decades, the prognosis for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (LE) has changed from high early mortality to a more chronic longterm course. Although the prevalence of LE has been estimated at 20-50/100,000, data concerning the situation of LE patients in Germany are sparse. Since 2001, a documentation within the German Lupus Self-Help Organisation scheduled for a period of 10 years (LULA) has been recording at the patient level the actual status and the long-term course of a large group of LE patients. ⋯ In comparison with other cohort studies and in particular with the German rheumatological database, the data provided exclusively by patients are feasible. Concerning the severity of their disease, their treatment and their global assessment of health status, LULA participants are comparable with other LE patients and can be seen as representative of LE patients in Germany. Further assessment especially of long-term data are needed to obtain additional insights into the burden of the disease and the need for special medical care.