[Description of a patient profile of ambulatory physical medicine facilities]

Beside objective diagnosis, the subjective feelings, of patients is of great importance in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Evaluation of demographic data and quality of life of patients referred to an outpatient clinic of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Prospective, multi-center cross sectional study. Evaluation of impairment of the activities of daily living by a questionnaire based on the "Functional Assessment Screening Questionnaire" and the "Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire" and of the perceived pain by a 100 nm visual analog scale (VAS). 1404 consecutive patients were included, 89% completed the questionnaire (n = 1250). Women 57.6%, men 42.3%, age 54.1 years. 67.6% of all diagnoses were related to the spine (36.7% cervical spine, 32.8% lumbar spine, 30.5% whole spine). 13.8% to joints of the lower and 8.4% to joints of the upper extremities. Intensity of pain was rated: 79.7 mm on the VAS (38.9% of all patients claimed to perceive pain all time). Patients referred to an outpatient facility of physical medicine are impaired in their activities of daily living and their well-being by pain. Further outcome studies of physical medicine outpatient treatment will be based on questionnaires developed in this present study.