Abstract

IntroductionFibromyalgia syndrome is characterised by chronic pain associated with non-specific somatic symptoms, and has a personal, social, occupational, and economic impact. The assessment is performed independently, by analysing the clinical aspects, severity, therapies, and their effectiveness, as well as the impact on daily life activities and its effect on employment. The FM-Check tool is a subjective scale that can be helpful in jointly assessing all these aspects, and provide professional support in monitoring the patient, as well as contribute to a multidisciplinary approach. MethodTo develop FM-Check is developed by starting with the clinical history in which the variables that are going to be used are defined, and grouped into 4 blocks to which a percentage limitation rate is assigned for each variable and each block. An overall percentage limitation is then calculated for the activities in each person. ResultsThe distribution of assigned percentages was: a maximum of 10% for personal appearance, 55% for clinical-therapeutic aspects, 24% for work aspects, and 10% for impact on everyday life. The limitation levels were classified according to the overall percentage obtained after assessing the patient; grade 1: an overall percentage <20%, grade 2: 20-40%, grade 3: 41-70%, and grade 4: >70%. ConclusionFM-Check aims to make it easier for the clinician to monitor the patient and making medical-therapeutic decisions after an overall assessment of the limitation of the fibromyalgia patient. This achieved by following a unified methodology that can compare individual developmental outcomes, as well as for conducting joint epidemiological studies.

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