ICF: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability,
and Health Resources
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Heath
(ICF) is part of the 'family' of international classifications developed
by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ICF classification system
focuses on human functioning and provides a unified, standard language
and framework that captures how people with a health condition
function in their daily life rather than focusing on their diagnosis or
the presence or absence of disease.
In June 2008, APTA joined the World Health Organization (WHO), the
World Confederation for Physical Therapy, the American Therapeutic
Recreation Association, and other international organizations in
endorsing the ICF. With this endorsement, ICF language will be
incorporated into all relevant association publications, documents, and
communications through existing planned review and revision cycles.
General Information
Background Information on the ICF
APTA Endorses World Health Organization ICF
Model
What
is the ICF?
Article in February 2009 PT Magazine.
World Health Organization (WHO) Introduction to the
ICF
This site includes an introduction to the ICF. In addition, there is an
online version of the ICF and ordering information for the publication:
International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health:
ICF. Geneva; World Health Organization; 2001.
ICF Beginner's Guide
ICF Research Branch, WHO FIC Collaborating Center
(DIMDI), Institute for Health and Rehabilitation Sciences,
Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich ICF Core Sets
This links to the ICF Research Branch website which presents rosters of
ICF codes relevant to a particular practice. ICF Core Sets are practical
tools that represent a selection of categories from the whole ICF
classification. These can be used with the ICF qualifier scale to
describe patients' functioning and disability following certain
conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, low back pain, etc. Other
investigators have developed alternate versions of the Core Sets and
these can be found within various publications.
Related Links
The World
Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) ICF Resources
Plans for ICD-11 to include ICF categories in
descriptions of conditions in ICD-11
The ICD-11 revision process recognizes the need to align ICD codes and
their definitions with the ICF.
Recommendations of the National
Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) to include ICF in
the Consolidated Health Informatics (CHI) project. The
Department of Health and Human Services has recognized ICF as an
endorsed vocabulary for exchanging electronic information for the
functioning and disability domains in the United States.
Palmetto GBA Going Beyond Diagnosis©
This initiative by Palmetto GBA, a wholly owned subsidiary of BlueCross
BlueShield of South Carolina, uses the ICF taxonomy to capture the true
impact of health conditions for decision support. APTA assisted with the
development of the case scenarios.
Case Scenarios using ICF
Spinal Cord Injury Case Studies: The Swiss
Paraplegic Research performed a series of case studies with the nearby
Swiss Paraplegic Centre with the aims to contribute to optimal
functioning, social integration, health and quality of life for people
with SCI through clinical and community-oriented research.
[Last updated: 04/20/09 | Contact: practice-dept@apta.org]
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