Abstract Body

Introduction

The diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) alone does not predict the level of required care, functional outcomes or limitations in social and occupational participation. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a taxonomy of health and health-related domains. It provides a common language and framework for describing the level of functioning of a person within their unique environment. Furthermore, it helps to describe health problems of a person in line with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).

Objective

Introducing the ICF taxonomy exemplary in the care of individuals with ID and mental health problems in Germany.

Method

Comparison of the ICF’s comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to assess an individual’s level of functioning and care in relation to assessing the needs of persons with ID based on clinical experience.

Results

The ICF provides a standardised assessment instrument to determine individual functional needs for the care, rehabilitation and societal integration of individuals with disabilities, which is a statutory requirement in many European countries.

Conclusion

Using the ICF for the assessment and management of patients with chronic health conditions, mental disorders and ID can help to accurately define individual therapeutic goals and monitor functional outcomes. A comprehensive narrative description of the patient’s functional status and clinical needs is comparatively time-consuming, requires greater effort by the assessing clinician and carries a higher risk of omission of pertinent functional domains; furthermore, a single ICF item confers little additional benefit to the patient in terms of the treatment or care they subsequently receive.

Abstract Body

Introduction

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a framework rooted in patient-centered care and the biopsychosocial model that facilitates a comprehensive description of a person’s health and their level of societal participation. The importance of the ICF for assessing the needs of individuals with mental health problems (MHP) and intellectual disabilities (ID) is growing, especially in the social medicine.

Objective

To describe the benefits and limitations of the ICF in clinical practice, pertaining to the assessment of healthcare needs and societal participation in persons with MHP and ID.

Method

Comprehensive literature search in medical databases using the keywords: ICF, mental health, intellectual disabilities, social and occupational participation.

Results

ICF-based instruments such as the Mini-ICF-APP, with which impairments and competencies in social and occupational participation can be described, are playing an increasingly important role in healthcare and rehabilitation. In Germany, for example, in accordance with the Federal Participation Act, the entitlement to disability support benefits is assessed using ICF-based instruments, which therefore play a decisive role in social medical care.

Conclusion

The functional descriptions of the ICF provide the opportunity for a standardized, yet individualized assessment of medical needs, general health and societal participation, thus facilitating the provision of a comprehensive package of care and support for people with disabilities. ICF-Core Sets and the Mini-ICF-APP are effective tools to describe level of function. It would be clinically valuable to further develop these instruments for use in persons with ID and MHP in the field of social medicine.

Abstract Body

The introduction of the ICF scale in Poland started a few years ago. One of the institutions, which started trainings and implementation of the scale is the Polish Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability (PSONI). The use of the ICF scale turned out to be very important because the diagnosis itself still tells us little about the life and personality of a person. The disorder itself does not determine functioning in society. The application of this scale helps to capture the dynamics between concepts such as health, human body functions, ability to participate in different activities, environmental factors and personality. It allows, for example, to clearly define whether the problems are caused by the health of a given person or by external limitations, even of an architectural nature. It is expected to implement ICF in different centers run by the Association like e.g. Vocational Activity Centers or the Center for Vocational Counseling and Support for People with Intellectual Disabilities (DZWONI). The scale is also being implemented in Health Care Services for Individuals with ID and Mental Health Problems in Poland because it remains an integrative model and not only medical and social one.