Consensus Conference Results for ICF Procedural Manual
by Professional Development
From August to October 2003, consensus conferences were conducted with members of five health professions (psychology, speech language pathology, social work, occupational therapy, and physical therapy) regarding the usefulness of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) to their clinical activities. Participants were also asked about the importance of a Procedural Manual for Health Professions that is being developed by a multidisciplinary group led by APA. All participants were provided the ICF itself and the prototype Procedural Manual in advance and participated in a 3 hour training workshop prior to the consensus conference. Conceptual issues, such as distinguishing similar codes and determining appropriate ratings, were addressed in the workshop and all participants had the opportunity to practice utilizing the ICF to code case examples.
All professional groups agreed that functional status as conceptualized in the ICF is relevant to their professional activities and would communicate important information to other providers. Further, all agreed that the Procedural Manual was essential for implementation of the ICF in health care settings. Many suggested that discipline specific "code sets" or coding algorithms would be helpful as well. Uniformly, participants agreed that, regardless of its clinical utility, the ICF is unlikely to be used unless its use is connected to reimbursement mechanisms. Participants believed that both current professionals and graduate students needed training in the use and utility of the ICF.
Discipline specific concerns were raised. Psychologists were concerned about ensuring reliability of coding and the breadth of coding options. Other disciplines raised questions regarding the frequency of coding relative to changes in functional performance, how to determine the "normative" population for making judgments about functional capacity, capturing the importance to individuals of their own functional limitations, and the importance of integrating the ICF system within pre-existing professional scope of practice guidelines.
For more information on the consensus conference results or to participate in the individual format field trials, please contact Lynn Bufka, PhD, Director, Professional Development Demonstration Projects. Following completion of the field trials, writing teams for the remaining chapters will be convened and a draft version of all chapters is expected by the end of 2004.
