Pediatric neurorehabilitation and the ICF

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Health Classification Systems

Background:

• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is intended for clinical rehabilitation.
• The ICF-CY is particularly suited for pediatric neurorehabilitation due to its comprehensive nature.
• Cerebral palsy in adolescents presents complex needs requiring a holistic approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of implementing the ICF-CY framework in a pediatric outpatient clinic.
• To assess the effect of ICF-CY on rehabilitation project structure for adolescents with cerebral palsy.
• To gauge the perceptions of team members and families regarding the ICF-CY implementation.

Main Methods:

• A two-year implementation of the ICF-CY as a guiding structure for rehabilitation projects.
• Utilized an ad-hoc questionnaire to collect feedback from team members and families.
• Focused on adolescents with cerebral palsy and complex needs in a pediatric outpatient setting.

Main Results:

• The two-year experience with ICF-CY implementation was positive.
• Questionnaire responses from team members and families indicated very positive remarks.
• Stakeholders responded favorably to the introduction of the ICF-CY language and bio-psycho-social model.

Conclusions:

• The introduction of ICF-CY language and the bio-psycho-social model is feasible in pediatric neurorehabilitation settings.
• The implementation of ICF-CY yielded a positive response from both clinical teams and families.
• ICF-CY serves as an effective framework for structuring complex pediatric rehabilitation projects.