Creating an Interface Between the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and Physical Therapist Practice

Discussion Podcast: The ICF and Physical Therapist Practice

Participants: Rueben Escorpizo, PT, DPT, MSc, is Research Scientist, ICF Research Branch, WHO Family of International Classifications Collaborating Center, Swiss Paraplegic Research Association, Nottwil, Switzerland; Todd E. Davenport, PT, DPT, OCS, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California; Daniel J. Vreeman, PT, DPT, is Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute Inc, and Assistant Research Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. Moderator: Linda Resnik, PT, PhD, Editorial Board member, PTJ.

This podcast is sponsored by

Files in this Data Supplement:

• Discussion Podcast - In their July 2010 article "Creating an Interface Between the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and Physical Therapist Practice" and their companion paper "Using a Case Report of a Patient With Spinal Cord Injury to Illustrate the Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health During Multidisciplinary Patient Management," Escorpizo and colleagues discuss ways to incorporate the ICF into clinical documentation. Is a documentation template such as the one they outlined feasible in practice? Will the implementation of the ICF in clinical practice provide tangible benefits to clinicians, or will the ICF be just "one more thing" that busy clinicians have to do? In this podcast, Escorpizo is joined by Todd Davenport, Daniel Vreeman, and Moderator Linda Resnick to discuss how the ICF might be used in day-to-day practice and the work that remains to be done to make implementation possible. The group also discusses how education programs, continuing education courses, and information technology systems might make it easier for clinicians to adopt the ICF. Running time: 21:55 (15.2 MB).

  Quick Grabs:

  Dr. Reuben Escorpizo: "We need to make the ICF usable to clinicians, both physical therapists and physical therapist assistants."
  
  Dr. Daniel Vreeman: "The proposed ICF templates move us much closer to using a common language to describe function and disability."
  
  Dr. Todd Davenport: "Exposing students in physical therapy … programs would promote a widespread adoption by promoting the use of a uniform domain structure."

  References

  Guide to Physical Therapist Practice. 2nd ed. Phys Ther. 2001;81:9-744. Revised June 2003. Available at: http://guidetoptpractice.apta.org
  
  Rauch A, Escorpizo R, Riddle DL, et al. Using a case report of a patient with spinal cord injury to illustrate the application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health during multidisciplinary patient management. Phys Ther. 2010;90:1039-1052.
  
  Cieza A, Hilfiker R, Chatterji S, et al. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health could be used to measure functioning. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009;62(9):899-911.
  
  

  Rundell SD, Davenport TE, Wagner T. Physical therapist management of acute and chronic low back pain using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Phys Ther. 2009;89:82-90.

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