Pain is the primary complaint for 80% of all office visits to physicians each year in the U.S. [National Center for Health Statistics, 1986]. It is important to use the proper measurement device in order to get meaningful data of a patient’s baseline status. The measurement must then be reapplied to get meaningful data of a patient’s improvement. The testing device must be comprehensive enough to give a reliable clinical picture, simple to understand, easy to score, and able to be administered at a low cost.
The devices listed in bold are used very commonly within the chiropractic profession, and it is recommended that you become familiar with these outcome assessment devices. Unfortunately, copyright restrictions do not allow for the reproduction of these materials within these Wisconsin Chiropractic Association recommendations. Generally, you may access the original articles and use any of these devices in your office for the treatment of your individual patients.
A. General Health Questionnaires:
Health Status Questionnaire v.2.0 [Health Outcomes Institute, 1993] 1