From Concept to Practice: The Development of ClinFIT for Musculoskeletal Disorders

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Assessment Tools
• Health Outcomes

Background:

• Musculoskeletal conditions significantly impact patient functioning and rehabilitation potential.
• Standardized tools are needed for consistent assessment and reporting in rehabilitation.
• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a framework for understanding health and disability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop ClinFIT-MSK, an ICF-based clinical tool for assessing functioning and rehabilitation potential in musculoskeletal conditions.
• To create a reliable and valid instrument for use by rehabilitation professionals.
• To support individualized patient care and outcome tracking.

Main Methods:

• A multistep, mixed-methods approach was employed for tool development.
• Initial ICF categories were identified through ICF Core Sets and literature review.
• A two-round Delphi survey was used to select clinically feasible items for ClinFIT-MSK.
• Development working group consultations guided item description and rating scale finalization.

Main Results:

• The ClinFIT-MSK tool comprises 17 items, categorized into 7 body function and 10 activity and participation domains.
• Items are rated on a 0-4 scale with specifications or a 0-10 numeric rating scale.
• The developed tool is based on an initial shortlist of 33 ICF categories.

Conclusions:

• ClinFIT-MSK offers a valuable resource for rehabilitation professionals to personalize patient care and monitor functional progress.
• The tool has potential applications in clinical research and public health initiatives.
• Future work will focus on psychometric testing and cross-cultural validation to enhance ClinFIT-MSK's global applicability.