Abstract
Background The Comprehensive ICF Core Set for vocational rehabilitation (VR) is a list of essential categories on functioning based on the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which describes a standard for interdisciplinary assessment, documentation, and communication in VR.
Objective The aim of this study was to examine the content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR from the perspective of physical therapists.
Design A 3-round email survey was performed using the Delphi method.
Methods A convenience sample of international physical therapists working in VR with work experience of ≥2 years were asked to identify aspects they consider as relevant when evaluating or treating clients in VR. Responses were linked to the ICF categories and compared with the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR.
Results Sixty-two physical therapists from all 6 WHO world regions responded with 3,917 statements that were subsequently linked to 338 ICF categories. Fifteen (17%) of the 90 categories in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR were confirmed by the physical therapists in the sample. Twenty-two additional ICF categories were identified that were not included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR.
Limitations Vocational rehabilitation in physical therapy is not well defined in every country and might have resulted in the small sample size. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized to all physical therapists practicing in VR.
Conclusion The content validity of the ICF Core Set for VR is insufficient from solely a physical therapist perspective. The results of this study could be used to define a physical therapy–specific set of ICF categories to develop and guide physical therapist clinical practice in VR.
Footnotes
Mrs Kaech Moll, Dr Finger, and Dr Escorpizo provided research idea/concept/design, analysis, and writing. Mrs Kaech Moll provided data collection. Mrs Kaech Moll, Mrs Portmann Bergamaschi, and Dr Finger provided linking. All authors provided help and revision support.
The authors thank Carolina Ballert for her statistical support. Furthermore, they thank all participating experts for their commitment and the considerable time spent to make this study possible: Abdul Almalty, Agne Laansalu, Akira Kimura, Alex Woo, Alicia Savona, Ana Cristhina de Oliveira Brasil de Araújo, Anita Gross, Anja Raab, Anna Sproμe, Anne Kumurenzi, Anneliis Jaanus, Annie Au, Binil Pillai, Bulent Elbasan, Carien Beurskens, Caroline Speksnijder, Catharina Broberg, Catherine Sykes, Christine Parker, Chung Tok Wong (Richard Wong), David Worth, Deborrah Thornhill, Dee Daley, Ernest Roy, Gerard Urimubenshi, Gunvor Gard, Helene L. Soberg, Jana Skoblíková, Jean Baptiste Sagahutu, Jenis Bhalavat, Jessica Decker, Jill Galper, Joel Booth, Kadri Joost, Larry Koyama, Lee Gardiner, Lindi Christensen, Luísa Cardoso, Margaret Mweshi, Margarida Florindo, Maria Soberanis-Reyes, Michael Sleap, Mohamed Sherif Sirajudeen, Monika Löfgren, Nadia Ittehadi, Niels Veldhuijzen, Noel Matereke, Patcharee Kooncumchoo, Piret Tiits, Priscilla Poon, Rasa Gaidlazda, Roongtiwa Vachalathiti, Sai Kishore, Sharad Kulathnal Soman, Shiv Idwani, Susanne Spillmann Zoller, Svenja Janssen, Tak Hang Yeung, Umesh Gyawali, Veronica Ntsiea, Wade Russell, and Yngve Roe.
This study was done as a project for Mrs Kaech Moll's master of science diploma in physical therapy.
This study complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and was exempt from ethics approval.
The Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Swiss Paraplegic Research kindly provided support.
- Received July 2, 2015.
- Accepted January 24, 2016.
- © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association
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