International Classification Of Health Research Articles

Ontological modeling of the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health (ICF): Activities&Participation and Environmental Factors components

BackgroundThe International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a classification of health and health-related states developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide a standard and unified language to be used as a reference model for the description of health and health-related states. The concept of functioning on which ICF is based is that of a “dynamic interaction between a person’s health condition, environmental factors and personal factors”. This overall model has been translated into a classification covering all the main components of functioning. However, the practical use of ICF has highlighted some formal problems, mainly concerning conceptual clarity and ontological coherence.MethodsIn the present work, we propose an initial ontological formalization of ICF beyond its current status, focusing specifically on the interaction between activities and participation and environmental factors. The formalization has been based on ontology engineering methods to drive goal and scope definition, knowledge acquisition, selection of an upper ontology for mapping, conceptual model definition and evaluation, and finally representation using the Ontology Web Language (OWL).ResultsA conceptual model has been defined in a graphical language that included 202 entities, when possible mapped to the SUMO upper ontology. The conceptual model has been validated against 60 case studies from the literature, plus 6 ad-hoc case studies. The model has been then represented using OWL.ConclusionsThis formalization might provide the basis for a revision of the ICF classification in line with current efforts made by WHO on the International Classification of Diseases and on the International Classification of Health Interventions.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Health and Functioning Framework revisited: A tool with clinical, research, and educational utility for counselors

AbstractThe WHO’s (2001) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model conceptualizes health from an ecological perspective. It has been implemented by many professionals as the standard health classification framework that guides providers’ decisions regarding assessment tools and targeted interventions. Despite this model’s prevalence among many healthcare providers, the ICF framework remains largely underutilized by many in the counseling fields. This conceptual paper provides an overview of the strengths of the ICF model and ICF-based measurements, and demonstrates its clinical, research, and educational value. A case study is presented to guide counselors and counselor educators through application of the ICF model in various contexts to encourage expanded use of the model. Use of the ICF model among counseling professionals, educators, and researchers is recommended as one way to enhance measurement of clinical outcomes.

We need an operationalisation, not a definition of health

Purpose: To demonstrate the value of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) notion of functioning as an operationalisation of health so as to describe, measure, and explain the lived experience of health, which is what matters to people about their health.Methods: Conceptual analysis based on evidence on the need to describe, measure, and compare states of health.Results: The ICF is the ideal framework to operationalise the lived experience of health. Its application in rehabilitation in particular, shows its value for the standardised reporting of outcomes of health interventions, clinical and services quality management, and evidence-informed health policy.Conclusions: The ICF provides both the frame of reference for an operationalisation of health that satisfies the intuitive understanding of what matters to people about their health and the technical tools for both health sciences and practice.Implications for rehabilitationAn operationalisation of health is essential to describe the relative health status of individuals and populations as well as to measure the impact of rehabilitation interventions.An operationalisation of health focuses on the lived experience of health.The International Classification of Health, Functioning and Disability (ICF) is the ideal framework to operationalise the lived experience of health.

Using global positioning systems to study health-related mobility and participation

Community participation, as indicated by mobility and engagement in socially meaningful activities, is a central component of health based on the International Classification of Health, Functioning, and Disease (WHO, 2001). Global positioning systems (GPS) technology is emerging as a tool for tracking mobility and participation in health and disability-related research. This paper fills a gap in the literature and provides a thorough description of a method that can be used to generate a number of different variables related to the constructs of mobility and participation from GPS data. Here, these variables are generated with the help of ST-DBSCAN, a spatiotemporal data mining algorithm. The variables include the number of unique destinations, activity space area, distance traveled, time in transit, and time at destinations. Data obtained from five individuals with psychiatric disabilities who carried GPS-enabled cell phones for two weeks are presented. Within- and across- individual variability on these constructs was observed. Given the feasibility of gathering data with GPS, larger scale studies of mobility and participation employing this method are warranted.

A process for translating evidence-based aphasia treatment into clinical practice

Background: Increased attention in the field of speech-language pathology is directed towards evidence-based treatment, particularly with regard to neurogenic communication disorders.Aims: The paper describes the development of an evidence-based aphasia clinic. Core principles of the clinic are the use of language treatment techniques that have support in efficacy data, and the objective measurement of treatment effectiveness.Main Contribution: Care paths for aphasia treatment are developed according to levels of evidence (Class I, II, III evidence); cognitive neuropsychological and life participation models; and the World Health Organisation International Classification of Health, Disability and Function (ICF). Multi-layered assessments are obtained at the ICF impairment and activity/participation levels throughout treatment (i.e., weekly treatment probes, monthly discourse probes, and biannual aphasia and neuropsychological assessments). Weekly multidisciplinary staffings address patient progress. The paper discusses limitations and challenges of addressing treatment effectiveness and efficacy within a typical outpatient clinical setting.Conclusions: The principles of evidence-based aphasia therapy and single-subject methodology can be applied in routine clinical rehabilitation settings.