Rheumatology
The HAQ-DI measures the difficulty experienced by the patient in carrying out daily activities. The 20 activities are grouped into eight functional domains. Scoring also takes into account the use of assistive devices or human assistance, making its calculation more complex than a simple average of 20 responses.
Number of questions
20 activities (8 fields)
Approximate duration
5 to 10 minutes
Population
Adults with rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory arthritis
Modality
self-assessment questionnaire with information on help/support
Terms of contract
Self-administered questionnaire completed by the patient on their usual abilities over the past week. Assistive devices and help from another person must be reported, as they increase the score in the relevant areas. The score is only calculated if at least 6 of the 8 areas are completed; use the official licensed French form.
Score interpretationHAQ-DI
For each domain, the highest activity score is used (adjusted to at least 2 if technical or human assistance is required, according to the official rules); the HAQ-DI is the average of the valid domain scores, ranging from 0 to 3.
Total score
First reading
The higher the HAQ-DI, the greater the reported functional limitation; continuous measure, with no proposed severity threshold.
It measures perceived function, which can be influenced by multiple conditions and the patient's environment.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't the score the average of the 20 questions?
Do assistive devices affect the score?
What are its limitations?
Sources and references
Stanford University / J. F. Fries
Fries JF et al., J Rheumatol, 1980
In practice
Full name
Health Assessment Questionnaire — Disability Index
Method
self-assessment questionnaire with information on help/support
Language
French (validated version)
Authors
Stanford University / J. F. Fries
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