The Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI)

UEFI has been validated mainly in broad adult upper‑extremity musculoskeletal (MSK) populations and the validation studies included e.g. people with different types of upper‑limb pain or functional limitations—such as shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand problems.

UEFI has primarily been validated in adult populations aged ~18–70, with samples generally including both men and women.

Is the UEFI a trustworthy measure?

UEFI has been shown to be both valid and reliable in upper‑extremity musculoskeletal populations.

• Validity: UEFI reflects daily upper‑limb functional status and aligns well with clinician‑observed impairments and other PROMs.
• Reliability: UEFI produces stable scores when the patient's condition has not changed, making it suitable for progress tracking.

As with any PROM, results should be interpreted together with clinical findings.UEFI survey scoreUEFI contains 20 items, each scored 0–4:

• 0 = extreme difficulty
• 4 = no difficulty

Total score: 0–80 (higher = better function).

Physitrack presents UEFI in its standard scoring format (raw sum of all items).

Time needed (patient burden)

UEFI isa a simple feasible survey that takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Tip: If the person completing the survey is unable to finish it in PhysiApp, they can return to it later and continue from where they left off.

Interpreting UEFI results

Not all small changes indicate meaningful improvement. What counts as real change?

• MCID: approximately 10 to 11 points
• SEM: around 3–5 points depending on population
• MDC: around 9–10 points

Tip: MCID is higher for people whose non-dominant arm is affected. Quick examples:

• 40 → 45 (+5): may be noise
• 30 → 40 (+10): likely meaningful
• 20 → 50 (+30): significant functional improvement

Physitrack's recommendations for using UEFI

• Use UEFI at baseline → mid‑rehab → discharge to monitor change over time. When you share the survey for the first time in Physitrack, you can schedule these future follow‑up measurements directly by selecting "Schedule repeated measures" and setting the desired intervals (e.g., 6 weeks, 12 weeks, discharge).
• Pair UEFI scores with region‑specific assessments such as shoulder strength, grip strength, or task‑based tests to improve clinical interpretation.
• Use Physitrack's trend visualisation to support shared decision‑making and to make progress more tangible for the person completing the survey.
• Encourage consistent completion by explaining why repeated measures help identify real functional change.

Isenção de responsabilidade

This blog post is intended as an educational overview for clinicians. It does not replace primary literature or clinical judgment. Although based on peer‑reviewed sources, it is not continuously updated; always verify references when making clinical decisions.

Referências

1. Stratford PW, Binkley JM, Stratford DM. Development and initial validation of the Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI). Physiother Can. 2001;53(4):259‑267. doi:10.2310/6640.2001.21366
2. Chesworth BM, Hamilton CB, Walton DM, et al. Reliability and validity of two versions of the upper extremity functional index. Physiother Can. 2014;66(3):243-253. doi:10.3138/ptc.2013-45
3. D'Agostino M, Panico M, Marsocci A, et al. The Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI): cross‑cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity of the Italian version. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2022;12(4):530‑536. doi:10.32098/mltj.04.2022.08
4. Arumugam V, MacDermid JC. Clinimetrics: Upper Extremity Functional Index. J Physiother. 2018;64(2):125. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2018.01.003

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