ABILHAND
What It Measures
The ABILHAND is a questionnaire that measures manual ability — how well a person manages everyday activities that use the hands, like opening a jar or buttoning a shirt. Instead of testing strength or dexterity directly, it asks the person how hard each activity feels, rated as impossible, difficult, or easy. Which hand is used, or what strategy gets the job done, does not matter.
A therapist usually gives it as a short interview. Item sets are diagnosis-specific: the developers publish separate versions for chronic stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and neuromuscular disorders. Responses use standard scores, so change between two testing dates can be compared directly. Home health and long-term care teams use it to see how hand limitations are affecting daily life.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: ABILHAND is assessments and online analysis is currently free on the instrument website (rehab-scales.org). The developer's site marks its content "© All rights reserved," and allows reproducing and redistributing the questionnaire itself; a separate application process exists for clinical trial use.
