Integrating the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in the Geriatric Minimum Data Set-25 (GMDS-25) for intervention studies in older people.
OBJECTIVE
Since the number of older people is rising worldwide, there is an increasing need for a structured and integrated approach for the participation of the older person in clinical research. The introduction of a 'Geriatric Minimum Data Set' (GMDS) will allow a standardized description of the older person participating in clinical research. ICF, a universal tool for the comprehensive description of human functioning, developed by the World Health Organisation, can make a substantial contribution to the development of a GMDS. It can serve as a 'framework', including all the functional characteristics needed in research in Gerontology and Geriatrics. The objective was to integrate ICF terminology in a recently proposed GMDS-25.


METHODS
ICF is explored to determine the most relevant ICF-categories for GMDS-25.


CONCLUSIONS
Several items of the GMDS-25 can be described in terms of ICF. This description contributes to the optimal standardization of the GMDS-25.
De Vriendt
P
P
Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
Lambert
M
M
Mets
T
T
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D000368:Aged; D035843:Biomedical Research; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000145:classification*; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D009626:Terminology as Topic