PROMIS Physical Function
What It Measures
The PROMIS Physical Function item bank is a standardized self-report instrument developed under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) PROMIS initiative. Content spans upper extremity function (dexterity), lower extremity function (walking and mobility), central regions (neck and back), and instrumental activities of daily living such as running errands.
165 calibrated items delivered through short forms of various lengths ranging between 4 and 20 questions, or they are delivered through a computer adaptive test (CAT), with results reported on a population-normed T-score metric where higher scores indicate better function. Forms are universal rather than disease-specific and exist in adult, pediatric self-report, and parent-proxy versions. Documented responsiveness to change supports longitudinal outcome tracking across acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and telehealth.
PROMIS Global Health-10 is officially listed in the HealthMeasures library as the PROMIS Short Form v2.0 – Physical Function 4a (versions 6b, 8b, 8c, 10a, 10b, 10c and others are also available)
Additional Notes
Learn More: Read our overview on PROMIS Measures for Clinicians.
Licensing Notes: PROMIS® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. PROMIS instruments are publicly available through HealthMeasures without licensing or royalty fees for individual clinical and educational use. However, integrating these tools into an electronic platform or EHR requires HealthMeasures Electronic Administration Permission (HEAP) to ensure digital formatting and scoring validity.
