Development of the international classification of functioning, disability and health core sets for hand conditions – results of the world health organization international consensus process

Abstract

Purpose: A formal decision-making and consensus process was applied to develop the first version of the International Classification on Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for Hand Conditions. Method: To convene an international panel to develop the ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions (HC), preparatory studies were conducted, which included an expert survey, a systematic literature review, a qualitative study and an empirical data collection process involving persons with hand conditions. A consensus conference was convened in Switzerland in May 2009 that was attended by 23 healthcare professionals, who treat hand conditions, representing 22 countries. Results: The preparatory studies identified a set of 743 ICF categories at the second, third or fourth hierarchical level. Altogether, 117 chapter-, second-, or third-level categories were included in the comprehensive ICF Core Set for HC. The brief ICF Core Set for HC included a total of 23 chapter- and second-level categories. Conclusions: A formal consensus process integrating evidence and expert opinion based on the ICF led to the formal adoption of the ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions. The next phase of this ICF project is to conduct a formal validation process to establish its applicability in clinical settings.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• The ICF offers a unified language of human functioning, disability and health substantial to describe comprehensively the experience of patients suffering from a determined disease.

• The ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions provide the basic international standard of what should be measured and reported to describe functioning and disability of patients with hand conditions.

• The ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions serve as a useful tool to guide clinicians in the assessment of a patient’s functioning in clinical studies, clinical encounters, and multi-professional evaluation.

Keywords::

• Hand conditions
• hand injuries
• functioning
• International classification of functioning
• disability and health
• ICF core set

Acknowledgements

We are most grateful for the contributions made by the following experts attending the consensus conference (in alphabetical order): Davit Abrahamyan (Armenia), Tora Dahl (Denmark), Mohamed Elazhary (Jordan), Patricia Fronek (Australia), Margareta Gustafsson (Sweden), Johanes Hardjono (Indonesia), James January (Zimbabwe), Hamid Kamarzarin (Iran), Ali Kitis (Turkey), Joy MacDermid (Canada), Kay Maddison (Australia), Christine Meier (Switzerland), Fabian Puepet (Nigeria), U Singh (India), Michael Solomons (South Africa), Catherine Sykes (United Kingdom), Jin Bo Tang (China), Piya Trevittaya (Thailand), Lucelle van de Ven-Stevens (The Netherlands), Shwu-fen Wang (Taiwan). We would like to thank the working group assistants Reuben Escorpizo, Monika Finger, Felix Gradinger, and Andreas Leib. We would also like to thank Jerome Bickenbach, Michaela Coenen, Heinrich Gall, Andrea Glässel, Gertrud Müller, Silvia Neubert and Wolfgang Segerer for their invaluable support during the conference. This study has been funded by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest.