Back Performance Scale (BPS): Funksjonsvurdering av pasienter med ryggplager i
primaerhelsetjenesten
Sammanfattning
Research question: Is Back Performance Scale (BPS) appropriate for measuring function in
patients with low back pain (LBP) treated by physiotherapist in primary health care?
Design: Cross sectional study.
Material and methods: Two physiotherapists collected data from 52 LBP-patients in different primary
care clinics in Norway. The patients performed the BPS-tests and reported their function on
Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire (Hannover) 2 times with 2-3 days a part (test-retest).
Results: Based on the BPS test-results and the Hannover scores, LBP patients treated by
physiotherapists in primary care seem to have moderate level of functional problems. Many of the
patients had no or little problems in performing the individual BPS tests, but the sum score provided
a broader picture of their functional ability. BPS had a considerable ceiling effect in this patient group.
The BPS tests were significantly correlated with patients’ perception of their own function, thus BPS
seems to capture functions that are relevant for patients. The test-retest stability was excellent and
the measurement error was acceptable.
Conclusion: BPS is a valid instrument for measuring functional ability related to daily activities in
LBP patients in primary care. The test-retest stability of is good and the measurement error
acceptable, but due to a ceiling effect, BPS is not appropriate for measuring effect of interventions in
all patients.