Using a self-reported functional score to assess disease progression in systemic sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Clinical Assessment
• Systemic Sclerosis Research

Background:

• Systemic sclerosis (SSc) significantly impacts patient function.
• Objective assessment tools are crucial for monitoring SSc progression and treatment response.
• The scleroderma Functional Score (FS) is a potential tool for evaluating functional status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the scleroderma Functional Score (FS) with the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI).
• To determine the utility of the FS as an objective measure for longitudinal evaluation of functional impact in SSc.
• To assess the FS's ability to capture changes in disability over time.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 135 SSc patients (diffuse and limited cutaneous forms) was studied.
• Archived self-reported questionnaires (FS, HAQ, scleroderma-VAS) were evaluated.
• Concurrent disease severity was assessed using clinical data and medical records.

Main Results:

• The FS demonstrated excellent cross-sectional correlation with the HAQ-DI (rho = 0.90).
• A strong correlation was observed between longitudinal changes in FS and HAQ-DI (rho = 0.59).
• 49% of patients showed clinically significant changes in functional ability as measured by FS over 1.8 years.

Conclusions:

• The scleroderma Functional Score (FS) effectively captures bidirectional, clinically significant changes in SSc-related disability.
• The FS exhibits strong concurrent validity, correlating well with the HAQ-DI.
• The FS is a practical, disease-specific, self-administered tool for assessing SSc functional status and evaluating new treatments.