Refinements of the ICF Linking Rules to strengthen their potential for establishing comparability of health information
Refinements of the ICF Linking Rules to strengthen their potential for establishing comparability of health information
Purpose: The content of and methods for collecting health information often vary across settings and challenge the comparability of health information across time, individuals or populations. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) contains an exhaustive set of categories of information which constitutes a unified and consistent language of human functioning suitable as a reference for comparing health information.
Methods and results: In two earlier papers, we have proposed rules for linking existing health information to the ICF. Further refinements to these existing ICF Linking Rules are presented in this paper to enhance the transparency of the linking process. The refinements involve preparing information for linking, perspectives from which information is collected and the categorization of response options. Issues regarding the linking of information not covered or unspecified within the ICF are also revisited in this paper.
Conclusion: The ICF Linking Rules are valuable for enhancing comparability of health information to ensure that information is available in a consistent manner to serve as a foundation for evidence-based decision-making across all levels of health systems. The refinements presented in this paper enhance transparency in, and ultimately reliability of the process of, linking health information to the ICF.
Implications for Rehabilitation:
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) constitutes a unified and consistent language of human functioning suitable as a reference for comparing health information. Comparability of information is essential to ensure that the widest range of information is available in a consistent manner for any decision-maker at all levels of the health system.
The refined ICF Linking Rules presented in this article outline the method to establish comparability of health information based on the ICF.
comparability, health, information systems, international classification of functioning, disability and health, outcome research, semantic interoperability
1-10
Cieza, Alarcos
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Fayed, Nora
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Bickenbach, Jerome
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Prodinger, Birgit
1bbe7d35-ca22-4e92-8d77-a9ea3e378dc8
Cieza, Alarcos
a0df25c5-ee2c-4580-82b3-d0a75591580e
Fayed, Nora
ad6f08cd-6389-4c62-a084-7b9085d4392f
Bickenbach, Jerome
3fd44204-4cfa-40b4-a459-71f436094fcc
Prodinger, Birgit
1bbe7d35-ca22-4e92-8d77-a9ea3e378dc8
Cieza, Alarcos, Fayed, Nora, Bickenbach, Jerome and Prodinger, Birgit
(2016)
Refinements of the ICF Linking Rules to strengthen their potential for establishing comparability of health information.
Disability and Rehabilitation, .
(doi:10.3109/09638288.2016.1145258).
(PMID:26984720)
Abstract
Purpose: The content of and methods for collecting health information often vary across settings and challenge the comparability of health information across time, individuals or populations. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) contains an exhaustive set of categories of information which constitutes a unified and consistent language of human functioning suitable as a reference for comparing health information.
Methods and results: In two earlier papers, we have proposed rules for linking existing health information to the ICF. Further refinements to these existing ICF Linking Rules are presented in this paper to enhance the transparency of the linking process. The refinements involve preparing information for linking, perspectives from which information is collected and the categorization of response options. Issues regarding the linking of information not covered or unspecified within the ICF are also revisited in this paper.
Conclusion: The ICF Linking Rules are valuable for enhancing comparability of health information to ensure that information is available in a consistent manner to serve as a foundation for evidence-based decision-making across all levels of health systems. The refinements presented in this paper enhance transparency in, and ultimately reliability of the process of, linking health information to the ICF.
Implications for Rehabilitation:
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) constitutes a unified and consistent language of human functioning suitable as a reference for comparing health information. Comparability of information is essential to ensure that the widest range of information is available in a consistent manner for any decision-maker at all levels of the health system.
The refined ICF Linking Rules presented in this article outline the method to establish comparability of health information based on the ICF.
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Accepted/In Press date: 19 January 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 March 2016
Keywords:
comparability, health, information systems, international classification of functioning, disability and health, outcome research, semantic interoperability
Organisations:
Psychology
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 392036
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/392036
ISSN: 0963-8288
PURE UUID: 12ed0350-5a01-442b-afb3-ea2d27bc4b76
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Date deposited: 14 Apr 2016 09:04
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 23:33
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Contributors
Author:
Alarcos Cieza
Author:
Nora Fayed
Author:
Jerome Bickenbach
Author:
Birgit Prodinger
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