Citation

Stucki G, Prodinger B, Bickenbach J. Eur. J. Phys. Rehabil. Med. 2017; 53(1): 144-149.

Affiliation

Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland; Swiss Paraplegic Research (SPF), Nottwil, Switzerland; ICF Research Branch, a Cooperation Partner Within the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications in Germany (at DIMDI), Nottwil, Switzerland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Edizioni Minerva Medica)

DOI

10.23736/S1973-9087.17.04569-5

PMID

28118697

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in rehabilitation requires suitable tools that allow us to document comprehensively and systematically the lived experience of health to guide clinical practice, the management of services, evidence-informed policy and scientific inquiry.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this methodological note is to present the currently available tools with respect to four questions: 1) what ICF domains to document; 2) what perspective to take; 3) what data collection tools to apply; and 4) which approach to use for reporting. The application of these tools is illustrated using the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury (SwiSCI) Cohort Study.

RESULTS: Existing ICF Sets provide a practical approach for identifying the domains to document. One can document from the perspective of biological health, lived health, and appraised health. For identifying suitable data collection tools, either existing tools can be linked to the ICF or available ICF-based data collection tools can be used. For reporting, an interval scale metric is suggested.

DISCUSSION: The four step approach presented provides users with a logical sequence to follow when planning the documentation of functioning using the ICF as a health information reference system in practice and research.

Language: en