Linking Health-Status Measurements to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

TLDR

The 2001 approval of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) by the World Health Assembly has prompted the concurrent use of health‑status measures and the ICF, making their relationship a key area of inquiry. This paper aims to establish a systematic, standardized method for linking health‑status measures to the ICF. The authors developed ten linking rules, tested their reliability, and illustrated them with examples. The study found high inter‑rater agreement on the linking of eight health‑status instruments, supporting the reliability of the proposed rules.

Abstract

With the approval of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health by the World Health Assembly in May 2001, the concurrent use of both health-status measures and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health is expected. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between these two concepts. The objective of this paper is to provide a systematic and standardized approach when linking health-status measures to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The specific aims are to develop rules, to test their reliability and to illustrate these rules with examples. Ten linking rules and an example of their use are presented in this paper. The percentage agreement between two health professionals for 8 health-status instruments tested is also presented. A high level of agreement between the health professionals reflects that the linking rules established in this study allow the sound linking of items from health-status measures to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.