Relationship between interRAI HC and the ICF: opportunity for operationalizing the ICF

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Disability Studies

Background:

• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a universal framework for describing human functioning and disability.
• InterRAI Home Care (HC) is a widely used assessment tool for planning care for home care patients.
• Linking clinical assessments to the ICF facilitates standardized data collection and reporting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between the interRAI HC assessment and the ICF framework.
• To determine the proportion of interRAI HC items that map to major ICF domains (Body Function, Body Structure, Activities and Participation, Environmental Factors).

Main Methods:

• Three independent coders familiar with both ICF and interRAI HC assigned ICF codes to interRAI HC items.
• Consensus meetings were held to finalize the primary ICF codes for each item.

Main Results:

• 175 interRAI HC items were analyzed after excluding administrative and diagnostic sections.
• Codes were assigned to Body Function (52 items), Activities and Participation (43 items), Environment (34 items), and Body Structure (1 item).
• interRAI HC items addressed 43.2% of Body Function and 50.6% of Activities and Participation ICF codes.

Conclusions:

• Significant conceptual overlap exists between the ICF and interRAI HC, especially in Body Function and Activities and Participation.
• This overlap provides an opportunity to operationalize ICF domains and codes within clinical practice.
• Utilizing assessments like interRAI HC with common elements promotes standardized reporting at organizational, regional, and national levels.