Objective: To demonstrate the reliability and validity characteristics of a fast, intensively focused functional assessment questionnaire that has been used in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials by the Cooperative Systematic Studies of Rheumatic Diseases group (CSSRD).
Methods: Data from three double-blind, controlled clinical trials by CSSRD were used to examine the properties of the Functional Assessment Survey as a measure of physiologic function.
Results: The Functional Assessment Survey has reasonable test-retest reliability and convergent validity with the Steinbrocker et al. functional class. It demonstrated appropriate divergent validity with other clinical measures of response, as well as discriminant validity.
Conclusions: The CSSRD Functional Assessment Survey is brief, intensive, and focused. Reliability and validity characteristics have been documented.