Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), not body functions & structures measures, are related to ARDS survivors’ quality of life and should be included in future studies.

Bringing greater consistency to outcomes measurement is an important methodological challenge for critical care research.

For clinical researchers selecting physical measures for studies of ARDS survivors over their first 12 months of recovery, participation measures such as instrumental activities of daily living, will more closely reflect patient HRQL, than measures of body functions and structures.

No 6-month body functions and structures measure demonstrated consistent association with 6- or 12-month outcomes in multivariable regression. The 6-minute walk test, an activity measure, was associated with 6-month SF-36 physical component scores.

Physical measures, assessed at 6-month follow-up, were categorized according to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Disability and Health: body functions and structures, activity, and participation.

Patient-centered outcomes were evaluated at 6 and 12-months: survival, hospitalization, alive at home status, and health-related quality of life.

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