Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis: Outcome Selection in Clinical Trials

Abstract

In carrying out an evaluation of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS), it is necessary to select relevant outcomes to measure and to identify instruments to use for their measurement. This requires a detailed understanding of the problems of MS, the aims of the rehabilitation, and the changes that are expected as a result of the rehabilitation. It also requires a thorough knowledge of the clinical and scientific properties of the measurement instruments, so that the most appropriate instruments can be selected and the data produced from them can be interpreted meaningfully. This article provides a structured and systematic approach to undertaking this selection process.