[German translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the ASAS health index : An ICF-based instrument for documentation of functional ability in patients with ankylosing spondylitis].

Documentation of the severity of the disease in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) can represent a clinical challenge, especially as the course of SpA can be very different. Patients with SpA often complain of symptoms, such as pain, fatigue and stiffness as well as limitations in mental functions and social participation. This wide range of functional impairments could so far only be insufficiently documented and not with one single measurement instrument. Despite various attempts in recent years, experts could not reach agreement on a definition of the severity and documentation of the extent of the severity. This was the starting point for the development of the ASAS health index presented here, which initially focused on patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This questionnaire serves to document the health and functional ability of patients with AS and has been available since 2015 as the original english version of the ASAS health index together with the accompanying environmental factors set. This article describes the German translation and transcultural adaptation of the ASAS health index and the accompanying environmental factors set.