What is "basfi"

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index was named for the location of the institution ( Bath England) where authors A. Calin and co-workers developed this validated index to determine the degree of functional limitation in patients with the inflammatory autoimmune disease Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). These researchers recognized that although treatment for AS is focused on pain control and the improvement of function, the available methods of assessing function were not specific to AS and were inadequately validated. In their seminal 1994 publication, Calin and his associates stated that "after pain and stiffness (measured by the BASDAI test), one of the most important complaints of patients with AS is disability."(Calin et al., 1994, p 2281).

The ten questions that comprise the BASFI were chosen with input from patients with AS. The first 8 questions evaluate activities related to functional anatomical limitations due to the course of this inflammatory disease. The final 2 questions evaluate the patients’ ability to cope with everyday life.