Developing ICF core set for subjects with traumatic brain injury: an Italian clinical perspective

The objective of this empirical study is to describe functioning and health of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to identify the most common problems using the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF). The specific aims are to describe the prevalence of problems in functioning as defined by the ICF of individuals with TBI, and to identify categories that explain most of the variance of the external standards.

261 TBI patients from 24 Italian centres members of the Italian Network were consecutively enrolled into the study between July 2008 and January 2009. The study was conducted as an empirical cross-sectional study.

The Extended ICF checklist captures the problems of TBI patients: many problems were reported within body function and body structure, but the most impaired categories were in Activity and Participation domain: the impaired categories reflect restrictions in challenging activities or activities related to later stages of recovery. The Environmental Factors in ICF were most frequently scored as facilitators: the support of the family is the most important environmental factor emerged, together.

This study describes and identifies the most common problems in functioning of persons with TBI in an Italian sample. It emphasizes the importance of approaching the description of functioning and disability from a comprehensive perspective including not only body functions and structures but also activities and participation domains and environmental factors.