ICF Core Set for vocational rehabilitation: results of an international consensus conference

Abstract

The expert opinion and evidence-based Core Set could serve as an international standard for what to measure and report concerning functioning of individuals in VR. The Core Set could also provide a common language among clinicians, researchers, insurers, and policymakers in the implementation of successful VR. Further testing and validation studies are encouraged.

The concept of `work ability' from the view point of employers

“…This is in accordance with previous descriptions of both work ability and employability [33,36,47,48]. However, expectations on abilities could differ depending on the demands of the actual work setting.…”

“…To the contrary, the insurance perspective on work ability only stresses the presence of basic abilities as the main concern [2,4]. Similarly, the rehabilitation perspective is also less concerned with endurance [47]. One aspect reported by the employers related to endurance was the ability to take reprimands, something which was considered an important part of work ability and which has been reported in other studies as well [33,49].…”

Content validity of the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire-Self-Report Version WORQ-SELF in a subgroup of spinal cord injury patients

“…9 In 2010, the ICF Core Set for VR was developed. 10 It has 90 ICF categories relevant in assessing functioning and disability in VR. As the ICF Core Set only provides 'what' to assess, it becomes imperative to develop an instrument of 'how' to assess.…”

Think before you measure

“…Gerold Stucki some years ago pointed to the relevance of the ICF not only directly in the rehabilitation clinic-for instance in monitoring the functioning status of patients-but also more broadly, describing the ICF as "a unifying framework and classification for physical medicine and rehabilitation" [4]. He and colleagues have developed a range of health conditionspecific "ICF Core Sets" to facilitate the use of the ICF in clinical practice and specifically in rehabilitation [5,6] as well as in vocational rehabilitation [7]. In this issue, several authors expand on the idea of the ICF as a unifying framework and the symposium theme in a variety of ways.…”