Handicap questionnaires: what do they assess ?

Abstract

20 questionnaires were identified. Handicap is not uniformly defined in these questionnaires. Based on different concepts, the various questionnaires encompass different domains and different aspects are emphasized in similar domains. Fourteen questionnaires assess society-perceived handicaps, and do not address the life roles, care needs or individual problem-experience. Six questionnaires are to some extent person-perceived, but a generic person-perceived handicap questionnaire could not be identified. It is concluded that development of a generic person-perceived handicap questionnaire is essential for adequate assessment of needs, outcome, and relevance of rehabilitation interventions from the individual's point of view.

Measuring participation in people living with multiple sclerosis: A comparison of self-reported frequency, importance and self-efficacy

“…Participation is of great importance to individuals with disabling conditions and is becoming increasingly recognized as an important outcome domain in rehabilitation research [2,[16][17][18][19][20]. A number of new tools have recently been proposed to assess participation [16,[21][22][23][24].…”

Issues in defining and measuring veteran community reintegration: Proceedings of the Working Group on Community Reintegration,VA Rehabilitation Outcomes Conference, Miami, Florida

“…Objective approaches assess quantity of participation (i.e., frequency, intensity, and amount and use of assistive device or other type of help), whereas subjective approaches assess quality and type (i.e., perceived difficulty, limitations, and autonomy, as well as satisfaction with participation) [27]. Several studies show that frequency and intensity of activities are only weakly and inconsistently associated with expressed satisfaction with the level of participation with these activities [27][28][29][30][31]. Commonly used measures, such as the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) [32] and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique [33], are objective measures that assess elements of participation.…”

“…In the CIQ, for example, frequency of participation in activities and completing activities independently (i.e., without assistance) is reflected in the final score [32]. In some measures, an individual's participation is compared with that of a person without a disability and is evaluated from a societal perspective [29]. However, community integration must also be understood in terms of the "insider's" perceptions and experience [37], and thus, the assessment of subjective perceptions, including perceived limitations and satisfaction with participation, are critical.…”

The Participation Scale: Measuring a key concept in public health

“…The most closely related construct to 'participation restriction' is that of 'handicap', as defined in the former International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps [18]. Cardol et al [3] reviewed instruments assessing the ICIDH concept of 'handicap'. They concluded that 'a generic person-perceived handicap questionnaire could not be identified' [19,20].…”