BASFI

BASFI

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) is a widely used tool for assessing the functional ability of individuals with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). It is designed to evaluate the impact of AS on a patient's daily life and to monitor changes in functional ability over time.

Development

The BASFI was developed in the early 1990s by a team of researchers at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath, United Kingdom. The goal was to create a standardized measure that could be used in both clinical practice and research to assess the functional status of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Structure

The BASFI consists of 10 questions that focus on the patient's ability to perform everyday tasks. These tasks are related to physical function and are specifically chosen to reflect the challenges faced by individuals with ankylosing spondylitis. Each question is scored on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no difficulty and 10 indicating extreme difficulty.

Scoring

To calculate the BASFI score, the scores from all 10 questions are averaged to produce a single score ranging from 0 to 10. A higher score indicates greater functional impairment. This score can be used to track changes in a patient's functional ability over time and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments.

Clinical Use

The BASFI is used by healthcare professionals to assess the functional status of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. It is often used in conjunction with other measures, such as the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), to provide a comprehensive assessment of a patient's condition.

Limitations

While the BASFI is a valuable tool for assessing functional ability, it has some limitations. It is a self-reported measure, which means that it relies on the patient's perception of their own abilities. This can introduce subjectivity and variability in the scores. Additionally, the BASFI does not capture all aspects of functional impairment, such as fatigue or emotional well-being.

See Also

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index
• Functional assessment

Rheumatologic diseases

Arthritis is often used to refer to any disorder that affects the joints. Rheumatic diseases usually affect joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. Rheumatologic diseases usually affect joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles.

Connective Tissue Diseases

Rheumatology and	Connective Tissue Diseases
Ankylosing spondylitis	Arthritis
Arthritis and Rheumatic diseases	Autoimmune diseases
Autoinflammatory diseases	Behçet’s disease
Bursitis	Giant cell arteritis
Gout	Juvenile arthritis
Knee problems	Lupus
Osteoarthritis	Polymyalgia rheumatica
Psoriatic arthritis	Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis	Scleroderma
Sjögren’s syndrome	Systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus)
Tendinitis	Rheumatologic diseases