Linking of Items in Two Function-related Questionnaires to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Shoulder Pain

PURPOSE: This study was to identify international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) categories that could be linked conceptually to disability of arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) items and short form of health survey 36 (SF-36) items for persons with shoulder pain. METHODS: Linkage between each item in DASH and SF-36 and the categories in the ICF were assessed. The linking process was performed by ten health professionals following the linking rule. One hundred four patients with shoulder pain were enrolled from 12 private clinic outpatient departments and participated in this study. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationships between each scale item and the linked ICF code. RESULTS: Thirty DASH items were able to be linked to 30 ICF codes, whereas the 36 items in SF-36 were only linked to 17 ICF codes. General health items included in SF-36 could not be linked to a relevant ICF concept. There was a high correlation between the two measurement tools and the linked ICF codes, DASH and its ICF code list (r=0.91), SF-36-Physical Health and its code list (r=−0.62), and SF-36-Mental Health and its code list (r=−0.72). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that concepts within each item in DASH can be linked to ICF codes for patients with shoulder pain, however, the concepts in the SF-36 items had limited linkage to ICF codes. The shoulder-specific functional tool, DASH can be expressed with ICF codes and, therefore, its use can promote data standardization and improve communication between professionals.

Korean Cultural Adaptation of WHODAS 2.0 (36-Item Version): Reliability and Linking to ICF

PURPOSE: This study was to conduct a Korean cultural adaptation of the WHO disability assessment schedule (WHODAS) 2.0: 36-item version. METHODS: An internationally standardized process of translation and cultural adaptation of an instrument was used to develop a Korean version of WHODAS 2.0: 36-item version. Linking each item into the international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) was also conducted in order to ensure the concepts in the translated instrument were compatible with ICF. All translated versions of the instrument, linking results and feedback from participants were used for the final adaptation of the Korean version of the instrument. The Korean version of the instrument was assessed twice on different occasions to examine inter- and intra-rater reliability, and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. RESULTS: Twelve participants were involved in the translation and linking process. Ninety-five volunteers were invited to participate to examine the reliability of the instrument. Fifty participants completed the self-rated version of the instrument and 45 finished the interviewer version. The Korean WHODAS 2.0: 36-item version was found to have excellent reliability: self-rated version and interviewer version reliability coefficients were ICC=0.92 and ICC=0.94, respectively. Thirty-four items of the translated instrument were to be linked to ICF categories. Some adaptation was made; details and a familiar example were added to help respondents answer the questions. CONCLUSION: The study results show that the adaptation of the 36-item version of WHODAS 2.0 to Korean was successful and the instrument is ready for use in testing its psychometric properties.

Intervention effects of tiaozhi jiangtang tablet on insulin resistance in rats with diabetes mellitus type 2 / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Tiaozhi Jiangtang Tablet (TJT) on insulin resistance (IR) in rats with diebetes mellitus type 2.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The model rats of diebetes mellitus were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (30mg/kg) and feeding with high lipid forage. The rats in the TJT group were treated with TJT and those in the metformin group treated with metformin as positive controls. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) was detected by glucose clamp technique after treatment for 8 weeks. At the same time, fasting blood glucose ( FBG), fasting insulin ( FINS), free fatty acids ( FFA), total cholesterol ( TC), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured respectively, and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and HDL-C/TC calculated. The changes of insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>TC, TG, HDL-C/TC, FINS, and FFA significantly reduced in the TJT group as compared with those in the control group, while ISI and GIR significantly increased, the effects of TJT were similar to those of metformin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TJT is effective in increasing insulin sensitivity and improving glucose and lipid metabolisms in rats with diebetes mellitus type 2.</p>