Article

OBJECTIVE: To validate the International Classification of Functioning,
Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for individuals with spinal cord injury
(SCI) in the early post-acute and long-term context from the perspective of
physical therapists. SETTING: International. METHODS: Physical therapists
experienced in the treatment of SCI were asked about problems, resources and
aspects of the environment treated by them, in a three-round electronic mail
survey using the Delphi technique. Responses were linked to the ICF by two
researches; kappa-coefficient was calculated as statistical measure of agreement.
RESULTS: In all, 81 experts from 27 countries named 3694 concepts. They were
linked to 187 ICF categories for the early post-acute context. Three ICF
categories from the component body function, five ICF categories from the
component body structures and two ICF categories from the component activities
and participation were not represented in the ICF Core Set for the early
post-acute context. In all, 207 ICF categories were linked for the long-term
context. Four ICF categories from the component body function, five ICF
categories from the component body structures and two ICF categories from the
component activities and participation were not represented in the ICF Core Set
for the long-term context. CONCLUSION: Physical therapists addressed a vast
variety of problems that they take care of in their interventions in patients
with SCI. The Comprehensive ICF Core Sets covered a high percentage of these
problems. Further research is necessary on several responses not covered in the
ICF.

Langue : ANGLAIS