How to apply the ICF and ICF core sets for low back pain.
OBJECTIVE
To introduce the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as conceptual model and classification and the ICF Core Sets as a way to specify functioning for a specific health condition such as Low Back Pain, and to illustrate the application of the ICF and ICF Core Sets in the context of clinical practice, the planning and reporting of studies and the comparison of health status measures.


METHODS
A decision-making and consensus process was performed to develop the ICF Core Sets for Low Back Pain, the linking procedure was applied as basis for the content comparison of health-status measures and the Rehab-Cycle was used to exemplify the application of the ICE and ICF Core Sets in clinical practice.


RESULTS
Two different ICF Core Sets, namely, a comprehensive and a brief, are presented, three different health-status measures were linked to the ICF and compared and a case example of a patient with Low back Pain was described based on the Rehab-Cycle.


CONCLUSIONS
The ICF is a promising new framework and classification to assess the impact of Low Back Pain. The ICF and practical tools, such as the ICF Core Sets for Low Back Pain, are useful for clinical practice, outcome and rehabilitation research, education, health statistics, and regulation.
Stier-Jarmer
Marita
M
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich.
Cieza
Alarcos
A
Borchers
Michael
M
Stucki
Gerold
G
D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012015:Reference Standards