International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
The ICF is a framework for describing functioning and disability in relation to a health condition. It provides a common language and framework for documenting information on the functional changes associated with physical therapy interventions. The World Confederation of Physical Therapy (WCPT) adopted a motion supporting the implementation of the ICF in physical therapy in 2003.[1] The ICF Core Sets were developed as a practical tool to facilitate the systematic and comprehensive description of functioning in clinical practice.[2][3]
The ICF is a framework to approach patient care that shifts the conceptual emphasis away from negative connotations such as disability and places focus on the positive abilities of the individual at the patient level rather than the systems level. The ICF framework is a classification of the health components of functioning and disability and focuses on three perspectives: body, individual and societal. These three perspectives underscore the importance of the interplay and influence of both internal and external factors to each individual’s condition of health.
Resources[edit | edit source]
An introduction to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) from the WCPT
Using the ICF in clinical practice from the WCPT
World Health Organization ICF resources, a summary from the WCPT
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Escorpizo R, Stucki G, Cieza A, Davis K, Stumbo T, Riddle DL. Creating an interface between the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and physical therapist practice. Phys Ther. 2010;90:1053-63.
- ↑ Kesselring J, Coenen M, Cieza A, Thompson A, Kostanjsek N, Stucki G. Developing the ICF Core Sets for multiple sclerosis to specify functioning. Mult Scler. 2008;14:252-4.
- ↑ Rauch A, Cieza A, Stucki G. How to apply the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for rehabilitation management in clinical practice. Eur J Phys Rehabil. 2008;44(3):329-42.
