Abstract
A common framework for describing functional status information is needed in order to make this information comparable and of value. The World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which has been approved by all its member states, provides this common language and framework. The article provides an overview of ICF taxonomy, introduces the conceptual model which underpins ICF and elaborates on how ICF is used at population and clinical level. Furthermore, the article presents key features of the ICF tooling environment and outlines current and future developments of the classification.
Highlights
The approval of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) [1] by the World Health Assembly in May 2001 has marked a paradigm shift in the way health and disability are understood and measured
ICF has brought these concepts into a comprehensive whole of multiple dimensions of human functioning synthesizing biological, psychological, social and environmental aspects
For standardized cross-cultural measurement of health status, WHO has developed a new version of the Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) [27] as a general measure of functioning and disability that reflects major life domains as classified in the ICF
Summary
The approval of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) [1] by the World Health Assembly in May 2001 has marked a paradigm shift in the way health and disability are understood and measured. For standardized cross-cultural measurement of health status, WHO has developed a new version of the Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) [27] as a general measure of functioning and disability that reflects major life domains as classified in the ICF (see Table 2). Another instrument is the ICF Checklist [28,29], which is a practical translation of the ICF for clinical practice. One of the most important prospects for the future development and implementation of the ICF emerge from aligning ICF and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) [34] in the context of the ongoing ICD revision process
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