[Development and Validation of the National Functionality Table for Chronic Diseases].

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Assessing adult functionality with chronic diseases is crucial for policy development and healthcare planning.
• Existing data collection methods for chronic disease patients often lack comprehensive functionality measures.
• Standardized tools are needed to complement disease records and measure functional improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a National Functionality Table for active-aging adults with chronic diseases.
• To align the table with the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Main Methods:

• Employed mixed quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Included a literature review, focus groups with experts, a Delphi panel, and an exploratory study.
• Involved 309 individuals with chronic diseases and 25 experts.

Main Results:

• Identified 67 potential limited activities from literature review.
• Reduced to 40 activities post-focus group and 38 activities validated by Delphi panel.
• Exploratory study and psychometric analysis confirmed five key dimensions.

Conclusions:

• The National Functionality Table exhibits strong psychometric properties, including consistency, reliability, and internal validity.
• The developed table is suitable for assessing functionality in adults with chronic conditions.
• Findings support the table's utility in health, social, and employment policy integration.