I think an accurate EDSS is to the benefit of the patient and doing your absolute best is the only control a patient has in reducing subjectivity.
I always try my best at each of the tasks that I am asked to do. Because we travel 1,100 miles and sleep in a hotel, how well I slept the night before will effect my EDSS. It has bounced around by a half point mainly do to the eye exam.
If my sleep was lousy, the bed was bad, and my appointment was early, I will have to push myself to make the 500 yards. Normally, 500 yards is no problem. If I were to fall short of the 500 yards, my EDSS would jump up, but I would know that the increase was the result of external forces and not an increase in symptoms or disability.
If you feel you did not perform a task as well as you feel you are able to, you can ask to do it again. I had Dr. Loftus walk me twice one time, because the first time I wasn't concentrating and bounced off of the wall a couple of times. The second time I stayed in the middle of the hall.
I think everyone wants to know if there is any improvement, and the only way that the patient can help make the EDSS assessment consistent and as accurate as possible is to do their best.
At some point in the future I imagine researchers will implant electodes into the axons of MS patients and run the wires to an external guage which could be hidden above the hairline of the patient.
Well Captain Bob, get Scottie on the horn and see if he can get some more power out of the old girl so that you can get to this futuristic golf outing.