Article

OBJECTIVE: To perform a content validation of the EUMASS Core Set across six
European social insurance systems. The EUMASS Core Set contains 20 categories to
describe the functional (in-) capacity of claimants for disability benefits.
METHODS: We performed an exploratory, cross-sectional study. We used the EUMASS
Core Set, added scales to rate the relevance of the 20 categories and added
additional questions concerning comprehensiveness, usefulness and sufficiency of
the instrument. Medical examiners from European countries filled in this
instrument in 10 consecutive claim assessments. RESULTS: Forty-eight medical
examiners in six different countries evaluated 446 claimants. The medical
examiners used all categories to describe the claimants' functional (in-)
capacity. Medical examiners missed 41 different categories, often mental
functions (n = 17). They rated the instrument as useful in 68.4% and as
sufficient in 63.2% of the claims. Perceived usefulness varied among countries,
but not among disease groups. Perceived sufficiency varied among countries and
disease groups. CONCLUSION: The EUMASS Core Set is promising for reporting about
functional (in-) capacities. It contains relevant categories for disability
evaluation among countries and disease groups. Adding more mental functions might
make it more applicable. Medical examiners found it useful and sufficient to
evaluate functional (in-) capacity. Implications for Rehabilitation In medical
reports of evaluation of work disability, reporting about functional capacity is
often unstructured in free text, making the reports difficult to understand. The EUMASS Core Set contains common definitions for expressing functional capacity
and is expected to support taking decisions, to improve the quality of decisions
and to allow national and international comparisons. Our study suggests the
EUMASS core set to be comprehensive, useful and sufficient to express functional
capacity in disability evaluation.

Langue : ANGLAIS