Assessing physical functioning on pain management programmes: the unique contribution of directly assessed physical performance measures and their relationship to self-reports. Issue 1 (February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guildford, Beth J; Jacobs, Clair M; Daly-Eichenhardt, Aisling; Scott, Whitney; McCracken, Lance M
• Is Part Of: British journal of pain. Volume 11:Issue 1(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 46
• Page End: 57
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Subjects: Chronic pain -- physiotherapy -- pain management programme -- physical functioning -- performance measures -- self-report -- assessment; Pain -- Periodicals; Pain -- Treatment -- Periodicals; 616.0472
• DOI: 10.1177/2049463716680559
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-4637

Abstract

Physical functioning is a recommended outcome domain for pain management programmes. It can be assessed by self-report and by direct assessment of performance. Although physical performance measures may provide unique and useful information about patient functioning over and above self-report measures, it is not entirely clear which of the many possible performances to assess. This study investigated a battery of three directly assessed physical performance measures and their relationship to three currently used self-report measures of general health and functioning. The three performance measures were sensitive to treatment; patients performed significantly better on all three measures following completion of the pain management programme. The three performance measures were shown to represent a single underlying dimension, and there was a significant degree of overlap between them. The performance measures were shown to be relevant in explaining variation in the self-report measures, as well as to offer a clinically relevant different dimension of assessment to self-report. Future research could focus on developing performance-based measures that capture quality of movement and that are sensitive to relevant processes of therapeutic change.