SPECIAL ARTICLE  EUROPEAN EFFORT FOR THE SYSTEM-WIDE 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 2017 April;53(2):299-307

DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.16.04436-1

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Practice, science and governance in interaction: European effort for the system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

Gerold STUCKI ^{1, 2, 3}, Mauro ZAMPOLINI ⁴, Alvydas JUOCEVICIUS ⁵, Stefano NEGRINI ^{6, 7}, Nicolas CHRISTODOULOU ^{8, 9, 10} ✉

¹ Swiss Paraplegic Research (SPF), Nottwil, Switzerland; ² ICF Research Branch, a Cooperation Partner within the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications in Germany (at DIMDI), Nottwil, Switzerland; ³ Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland; ⁴ Department of Rehabilitation, USL Umbria 2, Foligno Hospital, Foligno, Perugia, Italy; ⁵ Rehabilitation, Physical and Sport Medicine Center Department of Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos, Medical Faculty Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; ⁶ Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; ⁷ Don Gnocchi Foundation, Milan, Italy; ⁸ European University Cyprus, Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus; ⁹ Limassol Centre of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine NX, Limassol, Cyprus; ¹⁰ President of the UEMS PRM Section

Since its launch in 2001, relevant international, regional and national PRM bodies have aimed to implement the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM), whereby contributing to the development of suitable practical tools. These tools are available for implementing the ICF in day-to-day clinical practice, standardized reporting of functioning outcomes in quality management and research, and guiding evidence-informed policy. Educational efforts have reinforced PRM physicians’ and other rehabilitation professionals’ ICF knowledge, and numerous implementation projects have explored how the ICF is applied in clinical practice, research and policy. Largely lacking though is the system-wide implementation of ICF in day-to-day practice across all rehabilitation services of national health systems. In Europe, system-wide implementation of ICF requires the interaction between practice, science and governance. Considering its mandate, the UEMS PRM Section and Board have decided to lead a European effort towards system-wide ICF implementation in PRM, rehabilitation and health care at large, in interaction with governments, non-governmental actors and the private sector, and aligned with ISPRM’s collaboration plan with WHO. In this paper we present the current PRM internal and external policy agenda towards system-wide ICF implementation and the corresponding implementation action plan, while highlighting priority action steps – promotion of ICF-based standardized reporting in national quality management and assurance programs, development of unambiguous rehabilitation service descriptions using the International Classification System for Service Organization in Health-related Rehabilitation, development of Clinical Assessment Schedules, qualitative linkage and quantitative mapping of data to the ICF, and the cultural adaptation of the ICF Clinical Data Collection Tool in European languages.

KEY WORDS: Physical and rehabilitation medicine - International Classification of Functioning, Disability and health - Physicians