Arthritis impact measurement scale (AIMS)

Abstract

1 THE ARTHRITIS IMPACT MEASUREMENT SCALES (Robert F. Meenan, 1980, revised 1991) Purpose The self-administered Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) cover physical, social and emotional well-being and were designed as an indicator of the outcome of care for arthritic patients. Conceptual Basis Meenan criticized the measurements traditionally used with arthritic patients for their focus on disease activity and functional abilities to the exclusion of other components identified in the WHO definition of health (1). "The major argument in favor of the new questionnaire-based approaches is that they focus on the components of outcome that are the most relevant to the physician and the patient, both of whom are primarily interested in how the patient feels and how he or she functions" (2, p168). The AIMS were intended to be comprehensive and practical, with an emphasis on proven reliability and validity (3). Description The AIMS was revised in 1991, but as much of the evidence for validity and reliability was collected using the original version, both are described here. The original AIMS instrument included 45 items grouped into nine scales that assess mobility, physical activity (walking, bending, lifting), dexterity, household activity (managing money, medications, housekeeping), social activities, activities of daily living, pain, depression, and anxiety. It was shown in the second edition of Measuring Health. The dexterity and pain scales were developed by Meenan, while other items were adapted from Katz's Index of ADL, the Rand instruments, and the Quality of Well-Being Scale (1). Items were selected for inclusion on the basis of Guttman analyses and internal consistency correlations (3). Aa total health score was formed by adding the values for six of the scales: mobility, physical and household activities, dexterity, pain, and depression. The instrument is self-administered and takes about 15 minutes to complete. The revised version, the AIMS2, was first presented in 1991 as a more comprehensive and sensitive instrument (4). It contains 78 items, of which the first 57 are grouped into 12 scales that extend the coverage of the original AIMS (see Exhibit 10.1). The 12 scales can be further grouped