Armin Stucki¹; Thomas Stoll²; Alarcos Cieza³; Martin Weigl⁴; Anna Giardini⁵; Daniel Wever⁶; Nenad Kostanjsek⁴; Gerold Stucki⁴

Volume 36, Supplement 44, Supplement 44/August 2004, pp. 114-120(7)

1: Department of Internal Medicine University Hospital Bern Switzerland 2: AarReha Schinznach Schinznach-Bad Switzerland 3: ICF Research Branch, WHO FIC Collaborating Center (DIMDI), IMBK Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Germany 4: Classification, Assessment, Surveys and Terminology Team World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland 5: Psychology Unit, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Clinica del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione, IRCCS Istituto Scientifico di Montescano (PV) Italy 6: Rehab Center Rössingh Enschede Enschede The Netherlands
DOI: 10.1080/16501960410016794

Objective: To report on the results of the consensus process integrating evidence from preliminary studies to develop the first version of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set and a Brief ICF Core Set for obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Methods: A formal decision-making and consensus process integrating evidence gathered from preliminary studies was followed. Preliminary studies included a Delphi exercise, a systematic review and an empirical data collection. After training in the ICF and based on these preliminary studies relevant ICF categories were identified in a formal consensus process by international experts from different backgrounds.

Results: The preliminary studies identified a set of 287 ICF categories at the second, third and fourth ICF levels with 97 categories on body functions , 33 on body structures , 104 on activities and participation , and 53 on environmental factors . Seventeen experts from 8 different countries attended the consensus conference on obstructive pulmonary diseases. Altogether 67 second-level and 4 third-level categories were included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set with 19 categories from the component "body functions", 5 from "body structures", 24 from "activities and participation" and 23 from "environmental factors". The Brief ICF Core Set included a total of 17 second-level categories with 5 on "body functions", 3 on "body structures", 5 on "activities and participation" and 4 on "environmental factors".

Conclusion: A formal consensus process integrating evidence and expert opinion based on the ICF framework and classification led to the definition of ICF Core Sets for obstructive pulmonary diseases. Both the Comprehensive ICF Core Set and the Brief ICF Core Set were defined.