Barriers, activities and participation: incorporating ICF into service planning datasets.
OBJECTIVE
Guided by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), a measure of activity and participation (MAP) was developed and incorporated into the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database in Ireland. The aims of this article are to investigate and explore the relationship between the barriers, participation restriction and functioning levels experienced by people with disabilities.


METHODS
Seven thousand five hundred and sixty-two personal interviews with people meeting specific eligibility criteria for registering onto the database were conducted across four health service executive regions in Ireland.


RESULTS
Overall, differences in barriers, participation restriction and activity limitations experienced by people with different types of disabilities were found to be significant. Furthermore, low functioning and experience of barriers were indicators of participation restriction.


CONCLUSIONS
This article has shown that elements of the ICF have been successfully operationalised in a service planning tool through the development of the MAP. This provides a more holistic view of disability and will enable the impact of service interventions to be measured over time.
O'Donovan
Mary-Ann
MA
Disability Databases Unit, Health Research Board, Dublin, Ireland. modonovan@hrb.it
Doyle
Anne
A
Gallagher
Pamela
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000145:classification / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration; D018875:Vocabulary, Controlled; D055815:Young Adult