The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health

Abstract

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a framework for the description of health and health-related states and offers a biopsychosocial model of disability. The ICF was introduced by the World Health Organization in 1999 as a response to the conceptual and practical difficulties posed by its predecessor, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The ICF lists body functions and structure, and activity and participation. The relationship between impairment, activity, and participation is not linear, and can be further moderated by contextual influences, including personal and environmental factors. There are a wide range of potential applications of the ICF. It has been adopted most widely within rehabilitation services to describe individual functioning, but can also be used at a service and national policy level to describe, monitor, and evaluate different activities. This chapter outlines the use of the ICF, considers its strengths, and highlights its function in a range of settings.