The Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in Primary Care:  Findings of Exploratory Implementation Throughout Life

Inge Debrouwere; Jo Lebeer; Peter Prinzie

doi:10.5463/dcid.v27i2.511

The Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in Primary Care: Findings of Exploratory Implementation Throughout Life

Authors

Inge Debrouwere Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Quito
Jo Lebeer Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, University of Antwerp
Peter Prinzie Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogical Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v27i2.511

Keywords:

ICF, Primary health care, disability management, integrative functions of primary care, Life Course Approach

Abstract

Purpose: The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) has found widespread acceptance since it was launched in 2001. Yet, little is known about its use in Primary Care. This paper aims to contribute to the dialogue about the practical use of the ICF by exploring how this framework constitutes a supplementary source to inform disability-related decision making in integrated Primary Care.

Method: The implementation process of the ICF in a Latin American Primary Care and Community-Based Rehabilitation setting is described and the ICF diagram is applied to a life story as an example of its current use. Participant observation, in-depth study of reports of team meetings and the review of clinical files are the main data collection methods. Data analysis is enabled by the combination of single-case study with theory testing, which facilitates the generation of hypotheses in this exploratory study.

Results: A valuable time component of the ICF may support continuity in Primary Care and the universal application of the ICF framework can promote comprehensiveness by integrating individual rehabilitation and collective disability prevention. A way to mitigate the perceived dominance of biomedical disease and deficiency thinking is proposed in order to encourage the biopsychosocial focus of Primary Care. Finally, the implementation of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) in the health condition domain of the ICF highlights the importance of social responsibility towards disability.

Conclusion: This study suggests that a creative implementation of the ICF during life course to everyone who uses universally accessible healthcare may strengthen the integrative functions of Primary Care, and may be at the heart of the information system of this essential part of the healthcare system. Further research on the complementary use of ICF and ICD-10 is suggested in order to support community-based multisectoral intervention which may be coordinated by Primary Care.

Author Biographies

Inge Debrouwere, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Quito

Doctoral student at the Disability Studies Inclusion & Enablement Research Unit, Centre of Primary & Interdisciplinary Care, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium - Guest lecturer at the Public Health at the Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador

Jo Lebeer, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, University of Antwerp

Associated Professor at the Disability Studies Inclusion & Enablement Research Unit, Centre of Primary & Interdisciplinary Care

Peter Prinzie, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogical Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Associated Professor

Downloads

Published

2016-09-07

How to Cite

Debrouwere I, Lebeer J, Prinzie P. The Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in Primary Care: Findings of Exploratory Implementation Throughout Life. DCIDJ [Internet]. 2016 Sep. 7 [cited 2024 Apr. 30];27(2):57-76. Available from: https://dcidj.uog.edu.et/index.php/up-j-dcbrid/article/view/223

Download Citation

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 2 (2016): Summer 2016

Section

Original Research Articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License By-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

DCIDJ has been moved from Liliane Foundation to the University of Gondar

July 31, 2023

We are pleased to inform you that the Disability, CBR, and Inclusive Development Journal (DCIDJ) has moved from the Liliane Foundation (https://dcidj.org) to the University of Gondar (https://dcidj.uog.edu.et). The University of Gondar is the only university that owns the CBR Program in Ethiopia. The CBR program was established in 2005 in partnership with Light for the World and Save the Children to alleviate various problems faced by persons with disabilities due to lack of access to rehabilitation services and community awareness. The University of Gondar (Ethiopia) and Queen’s University (Canada), supported by the Mastercard Foundation, have developed a 10-year partnership to advance inclusive higher education for young people with disabilities, develop new occupational therapy programs, and advance research for inclusive education and community-based rehabilitation in Africa. Hence, the University of Gondar is an excellent fit to manage the journal as it has extensive experience in the field of disability, CBR, and inclusive development.

The DCIDJ is an online journal with a 33-year-old history of publishing research in the broad field of rehabilitation and disability inclusion. It is an open-access journal that aims to provide a platform for high-quality and innovative research that includes a diverse range of perspectives, including academics, researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students. The journal covers topics such as disability rights, inclusive education, community-based rehabilitation, disability and development, and more. The journal is a quarterly publication that will be available online in four issues per year. We would like to acknowledge the good relationship with the Liliane Foundation and Enablement who chose the University of Gondar as a sustainable base as this university is one of the leading universities in Ethiopia in the field of disability, development, and rehabilitation. This is a positive step towards enhancing the dissemination and impact of research and knowledge in the CBR/CBID community.