Validation of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis: The perspective of psychologists

Abstract

The ‘Comprehensive ICF Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)’ is an application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and represents the typical spectrum of problems in functioning of patients with RA. The objective of this study was to validate this ICF Core Set from the perspective of psychologists. Psychologists experienced in RA treatment were asked about the problems of RA patients, treated by psychologists, in a three-round survey using the Delphi technique. Responses were linked to the ICF. Twenty psychologists in five countries gave a total of 303 responses that were linked to 65 different ICF categories. Fifteen responses were linked to the not yet developed ICF component personal factors and nine were not covered by ICF. Overall, 66% of the ICF categories linked to the responses of the psychologists were represented by the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for RA. Several responses that were not covered need to be investigated further.

Keywords:

• International Classification of Functioning
• Disability and Health
• rehabilitation
• rheumatoid arthritis
• Delphi method

Acknowledgements

We thank the participants of the Delphi exercise for their valuable contribution and their time in responding to the demanding questionnaires (in alphabetical order): Julie Barlow, Hans-Günther Budde, Elfriede Bürckstümmer, Reinhard Cziske, Fiona Denton, Andrea W. M. Evers, Rinie Geenen, Dieter Hauptvogel, Sabine von Hinüber, Jürgen Höder, Georg Jungnitsch, Francis J. Keefe, Kathleen A. Kendall Tackett, Floris W. Kraaimaat, Stanton Newman, Jerry Parker, Claudia Schweiger, Louise Sharpe, Gerhild Spangenberg, Erik Taal, Thomas Valentin. We thank Edda Amann and Barbara Kollerits for performing the linking of the participants’ responses to the ICF.