Measuring Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
Why and How

J of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Vol. 5, No. 3/4, 1999 

Gloria Furst, OTR/L, MPH

SUMMARY. Fatigue is a common symptom occurring in a wide range of acute
and chronic illnesses. It is multidimensional and subjective and because
of this it has been difficult to define and quantify. Fatigue is one of
several significant symptoms in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and
multiple sclerosis, but for persons with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS),
it is often the most debilitating symptom. The need for valid and reliable
assessments of fatigue is necessary for health care providers as we are
increasingly required to document outcomes of care for professional and
insurance purposes.


KEYWORDS. Fatigue measures, chronic fatigue syndrome

Gloria Furst, OTR/L, MPH, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room
6S235, 10 Center Drive MSC 1604, Bethesda, MD 20892-1604 (E-mail:
gfurst@nih.gov).