ICF Overview and Functionality

ICF Overview

• International Classification of Functioning (ICF) is a global classification system for disability and health.
• Primarily utilized as a planning and policy tool by decision-makers in health-related sectors.

Relationship with WHO and ICD-10

• ICF is part of the World Health Organization (WHO) international classifications.
• ICD-10, primarily for cause of death classification, complements the ICF addressing health classification.

Functionality and Uses

• ICF aids in policy development, economic analyses, research, intervention studies, and evaluation of environmental factors.
• Disability and functioning are viewed as outcomes influenced by health conditions and contextual factors.

Key Components of ICF

• Environmental Factors: Encompass physical, social, and attitudinal components of the living environment.
• Personal Factors: Include individual characteristics such as age, gender, education, profession, and other experiences that impact disability perception.

Body-Related Components

• Body Functions: Physiological functions of body systems, including psychological functions.
• Body Structures: Anatomical parts of the body, such as organs and limbs.
• Impairments: Significant deviations or losses in body function or structure.

Activity and Participation

• Activity: Refers to completing a task or action by an individual.
• Participation: Involvement in life situations, highlighting the quality of engagement.
• Activity Limitations: Challenges faced by an individual in executing activities.
• Participation Restrictions: Difficulties in engaging in life situations.

Qualifiers in ICF

• Qualifiers: Assess presence and severity of functioning problems at the body, person, and societal levels.
• Capacity Qualifier: Indicates the highest potential level of functioning in a specific domain at a given time.
• Performance Qualifier: Reflects what an individual achieves in their current environment.

Environmental Assessment

• Standardized Environment: Describes environments used in assessments, ensuring uniformity in evaluation parameters based on scientific research.

Principles of ICF

• Universality: Classification applies to all individuals irrespective of health conditions.
• Parity: No distinctions based on health conditions, ensuring equitable treatment of disability types.
• Neutrality: Domain names utilize neutral language, acknowledging both positive and negative aspects of functioning.

Contextual Factors

• ICF includes contextual factors that significantly affect functioning and disability experiences, covering aspects from physical environments to social attitudes and regulations.

Scientific Tool

• ICF serves as a consistent, scientifically validated tool for collecting internationally comparable data on health and disability experiences.

Models of ICF

• Two major models include the Medical Model and the Social Model, emphasizing different perspectives on health and disability.

Interplay of Factors

• Activity execution is influenced by health conditions, participation levels, body functioning and structures, and both environmental and personal contextual factors.

Explore the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), a coding system used for understanding disability and health relationships. Learn about its connection to the WHO and ICD-10, and how it aids in policy development and research.