Perceived usefulness of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) increases after a short training: A randomized controlled trial in master of advanced nursing practice students

Knowledge and use of the International Classification of Functioning, disability and health (ICF) and ICF Core Sets for musculoskeletal conditions among saudi physical therapists

BACKGROUND

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) provides a coherent biopsychosocial view of health states. The ICF Core Sets were developed to facilitate and encourage the use of the ICF in clinical practice and research.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the level of knowledge and use of the ICF and ICF Core Sets for musculoskeletal conditions among Saudi physical therapists.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHOD

We approached Saudi physical therapists (PTs) involved in managing patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Data were collected through an electronic survey consisting of multiple-choice questions related to the knowledge of the ICF, general ICF Core Sets and ICF Core Sets for musculoskeletal conditions.

RESULTS

A total of 203 PTs participated in this study. Seventy percent of PTs knew about the meaning of ICF, but only 33% recognized aspects of the ICF. For the osteoarthritis (OA) ICF Core Set, 71.9% had poor knowledge, and for the low back pain (LBP) ICF Core Set, 61.8% had poor knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

The Saudi PTs surveyed in this study had a good level of knowledge about the meaning of the ICF; however, this knowledge appeared to be limited when they were asked about aspects of the ICF. They had poor knowledge of musculoskeletal ICF Core Sets but seemed to be more familiar with the LBP ICF Core Set compared to the OA ICF Core Set.

A comparison between the ICNP and the ICF for expressing nursing content in the electronic health record

BACKGROUND

The use of standardised terminologies for electronic health records (EHRs) is important and a sufficient coverage of all aspects of health care is increasingly being developed worldwide. The International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health (ICF) is suggested as a unifying terminology suitable in a multi-professional EHR, but the level of representation of nursing content is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to describe lexical and semantic accordance in relation to comprehensiveness and granularity of concepts between the International Classification of Nursing Practise (ICNP) and the ICF.

METHODS

806 pre-coordinated concepts for diagnoses and outcomes in the ICNP terminology were manually mapped to 1516 concepts on level 4-6 in the ICF.

RESULTS

Several dimensions of nursing diagnoses and outcomes in the ICNP were missing in the ICF. 60% of the concepts for diagnosis and outcome in the ICNP could not be stated using the ICF while another 31% could only be matched either as a subordinate or as a superordinate concept.

CONCLUSIONS

The lexical and semantic accordance in relation to comprehensiveness and granularity between concepts in the ICNP and ICF was rather low. A large proportion of concepts for diagnoses and outcomes in the ICNP could not be satisfactorily stated using the ICF. Standardised terminologies rooted in a nursing tradition (e.g., the ICNP) is needed for communication and documentation in health care to represent the patient's health situation as well as professional diagnostic decisions and evaluations in nursing.

The ICF in the pedagogical projects of Physiotherapy courses in Midwest Brazil

Abstract Introduction: The course pedagogical projects (CPPs) of physical therapy programs in Brazil are based on National Curriculum Guidelines for Physiotherapy (NCGP) and the principles of the National Health System (SUS). The CPPs that guide professional training tend to use a biopsychosocial approach and propose familiarizing undergraduate students with the International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health (ICF); as such, they should include the use of this instrument. Objective: Assess CPPs by exploratory document analysis and determine whether they propose teaching and using the ICF in student training. Method: Qualitative-quantitative study with document analysis of CPPs for physical therapy courses in Midwest Brazil, from which information related to the ICF was extracted. Results: The biopsychosocial model and NGCP were identified in the 10 CPPs analyzed and the ICF was found in the curriculum outline of 6 of these, indicating the incorporation of this framework in student training. However, the ICF was only identified in the course objectives and literature references of 4 and 2 CPPs, respectively, suggesting possible shortcomings in its application in these documents. Conclusion: The inclusion of the ICF in some CPPs indicates a positive change and favors understanding of functioning, but does not preclude the need for a broader approach to teaching this classification framework in the remaining CPPs in order to provide student training within a biopsychosocial context.