THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING,
DISABILITY AND HEALTH (ICF)
What is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health?
Framework for describing and organizing information on functioning and disability
Provides a standard language and conceptual basis (standardized information
structure) for the definition & measurement of health and disability
o Across health professions
o Describes a person’s activity and participation within their environment
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework for Health and disability
o companion classification for children & youth (ICF-CY) was published in 2007
1. What are the aims of the ICF?
o provide scientific basis for understanding & studying health and health-
related states, outcomes, determinants, changes in health status & function
o establish a common language for describing health and health-related states
in order to improve communication between different users
i.e., health care workers, researchers, policy-makers, public
o permit comparison of data across countries, HC disciplines, services & time
o provide a systematic coding scheme for health information systems
2. What are the underlying principles of the ICF?
o Universality
classifiation applicable to all people irrespective of health condition or
physical, social and cultural contexts
o Parity and aetiological neutrality
Focus on function means there is no explicit or implicit distinction
between different health conditions, whether ‘mental’ or 'physical'
Disability is not differentiated by aetiology.
Cannot infer participation in everyday life from diagnosis alone.
o Neutrality
Domain definitions are worded in neutral language
Classification can be used to record positive & negative aspects of
functioning and disability.
o Environmental Influence
Includes environmental factors in recognition of the important role of
environment in people’s functioning.
DISABILITY AND HEALTH (ICF)
What is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health?
Framework for describing and organizing information on functioning and disability
Provides a standard language and conceptual basis (standardized information
structure) for the definition & measurement of health and disability
o Across health professions
o Describes a person’s activity and participation within their environment
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework for Health and disability
o companion classification for children & youth (ICF-CY) was published in 2007
1. What are the aims of the ICF?
o provide scientific basis for understanding & studying health and health-
related states, outcomes, determinants, changes in health status & function
o establish a common language for describing health and health-related states
in order to improve communication between different users
i.e., health care workers, researchers, policy-makers, public
o permit comparison of data across countries, HC disciplines, services & time
o provide a systematic coding scheme for health information systems
2. What are the underlying principles of the ICF?
o Universality
classifiation applicable to all people irrespective of health condition or
physical, social and cultural contexts
o Parity and aetiological neutrality
Focus on function means there is no explicit or implicit distinction
between different health conditions, whether ‘mental’ or 'physical'
Disability is not differentiated by aetiology.
Cannot infer participation in everyday life from diagnosis alone.
o Neutrality
Domain definitions are worded in neutral language
Classification can be used to record positive & negative aspects of
functioning and disability.
o Environmental Influence
Includes environmental factors in recognition of the important role of
environment in people’s functioning.
