Important goals of health care for rheumatic patients are to minimize functional loss, maintain independence, and preserve quality of life. In the past decade, health status instruments have proven to be valuable, relevant, and outcome measures in both clinical trials and clinical practice. Questionnaires based on health status variables, such as mobility, mood, and social effect, are particularly relevant because they assess the aspects of outcome that most concern the individual patient. Generic health status instruments can be used to compare patients with different diseases. Since important areas for specific patient groups may either be omitted, disease specific instruments have also appeared for rheumatic patients.