EDITORIAL  CURRENT STATE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY AND HEALTH (ICF) IN PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION MEDICINE Free access

European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2008 September;44(3):343-51

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Developing research capacity in human functioning and rehabilitation research from the comprehensive perspective based on the ICF-model

Stucki G. ^{1, 2, 3}, Reinhardt J. D. ^{3, 4}, Grimby G. ⁵, Melvin J. ⁶ ✉

¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany 2 ICF Research Branch of the WHO CC FIC (DIMDI) Institute for Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany 3 Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland 4 Faculty of Humanities, University of Lucerne Lucerne, Switzerland 5 Rehabilitation Medicine Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden 6 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Jefferson Medical College Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

With the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) the World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared the ground for a comprehensive understanding of Human Functioning and Rehabilitation Research integrating the biomedical perspective on impairment with the social model of disability. This poses a number of old and new challenges regarding the enhancement of adequate research capacity. Here the authors will summarize approaches to address these challenges with respect to three areas: the organization of Human Functioning and Rehabilita-tion Research into distinct scientific fields, the development of suitable academic training programs and the building of university centres and collaboration networks.