Importance of an individual's evaluation of functional status for health-related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Quantifying the clinical impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most important determinants for optimizing individual patient care. Useful clinical measures for MS can be evaluated from different perspectives.

Objective/hypothesis: This cross-sectional study compared physical disability and functional status as assessed by a neurologist and by a patient and explored how they are associated with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Employment status and perceived health status in younger and older people with multiple sclerosis.

This study explores how employment is associated with perceived physical and mental health status in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables stratified by age. The sample consisted of 184 MS patients divided into a younger (<45 years) and an older (≥45 years) age group. Respondents underwent an interview, a neurological examination on disability [Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)], and completed the Short Form-36 Health Survey.

Self-rated health and employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: The aim is to explore the association between self-rated health and employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) when controlling for age, gender, functional disability, disease duration, anxiety and depression.

Method: One hundred eighty-four people with MS completed a sociodemographic questionnaire that included questions on employment status, the first item of the Short Form-36 Health Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Functional disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale.

Perceived health status as measured by the SF-36 in patients with multiple sclerosis: a review.

This review of literature gives an overview of recent studies about perceived health status as measured by the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The SF-36 is one of the tools measuring health status in patients used in international research and clinical practice. It measures two main health concepts - physical and mental.

Social support as a predictor of perceived health status in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate whether different levels of perceived social support are associated with different levels of perceived health status in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods: Two hundred and seven MS patients (38.4+/-10.