Record Information - Disease steps assessment
SGP KP Publishing
Exported on 2025-01-09 00:30:55
Page 40 of 438
Table of Contents
- Recent updates … 4
- Before you start … 5
- Understand and record disease steps assessment … 6
- Next steps … 8
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SGP KP Publishing – Record Information - Disease steps assessment
This article provides guidance for a local area coordinator, early childhood coordinator and all NDIA staff (planner, payment officer, internal review officer, complaints officer, participant service officer, access officer, quality officer, technical advisor, SDA officer, NCC officer, provider support) to:
- understand a disease steps assessment
- record information about disease steps
Recent updates – 3 Page 42 of 438
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SGP KP Publishing – Record Information - Disease steps assessment
Recent updates
July 2023
Update to system steps and language to align with PACE and knowledge consistency.
Recent updates – 4 Page 43 of 438
2 Before you start
You have:
- read Our Guidelines – applying to the NDIS
- read article Understand functional capacity assessments
- read article Create a new functional capacity assessment case.
3 Understand and record disease steps assessment
Understand a disease steps assessment
The disease steps classification scale assesses the level of impact multiple sclerosis has on the participant’s daily activities. We use this where they have identified multiple sclerosis as their primary disability.
To do a multiple sclerosis assessment, use one of these sources in preference order:
- Disease steps: for all ages – provided by a medical professional or equivalent.
- Multiple sclerosis severity tool: for all ages - Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS), available on the NDIS intranet. Provided by a medical professional or equivalent or completed internally.
- Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): for all ages – provided by a medical professional or equivalent. To learn more, go to article Record information – Expanded disability status scale.
Note: Evidence from a treating health professional should be from a neurologist or a disease steps trained nurse examiner.
Disease steps overall score or rating
The below descriptions are from published research developed by Hohol et al. (1995):[1]
- Level 0 - Normal: functionally normal with no limit on activity or lifestyle.
- Level 1 - Mild disability: mild symptoms or signs.
- Level 2 - Moderate disability: the main feature is a visible abnormal gait. Patients do not require ambulation aids.
- Level 3 - Early cane: intermittent use of cane (or other forms of unilateral support including splint, brace, or crutch).
- Level 4 - Late cane: these patients are dependent on a cane or other forms of unilateral support. They cannot walk 7.6 metres without such support
- Level 5 - Bilateral support: patients require bilateral support to walk 7.6 metres. For example, two canes, two crutches or a walker.
- Level 6 - Confined to wheelchair: patients confined to a wheelchair or scooter.
This scale can also provide an ‘unclassifiable’ category for patients who do not fit the above categories.
For example, patients who are otherwise minimally impaired but have:
- significant cognitive or visual impairment
- overwhelming fatigue
Record information about disease steps
At the Select Tools step of the Functional Capacity Assessment in PACE:
- Select No to Carry out a new assessment.
- Select Yes to Manually enter scores.
- Select Disease steps.
- Select Next.
- Record the Assessment completion date.
- Record the score at Please enter the overall score or rating.
- Select Next.
- Check the Confirmation details
- Select Done.
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SGP KP Publishing – Record Information - Disease steps assessment
Next steps
There are no further steps.
[1] Hohol MJ, Orav EJ, Weiner HL. Disease steps in multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal study comparing disease steps and EDSS to evaluate disease progression. Mult Scler. 1999 Oct;5(5):349-54
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