title: Systematic literature review on ICF from 2001 to 2009: its use, implementation and operationalisation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a systematic literature review on the state of the art of the utilisation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) since its release in 2001.
  
  
  METHODS
  The search was conducted through EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychInfo covering the period between 2001 and December 2009. Papers were included if ICF was mentioned in title or abstract. Papers focussing on the ICF-CY and clinical research on children and youth only were excluded. Papers were assigned to six different groups covering the wide scenario of ICF application.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 672 papers, coming from 34 countries and 211 different journals, were included in the analysis. The majority of publications (30.8%) were conceptual papers or papers reporting clinical and rehabilitation studies (25.9%). One-third of the papers were published in 2008 and 2009.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ICF contributed to the development of research on functioning and on disability in clinical, rehabilitation as well as in several other contexts, such as disability eligibility and employment. Diffusion of ICF research and use in a great variety of fields and scientific journals is a proof that a cultural change and a new conceptualisation of functioning and disability is happening.
authors.affiliation: Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit-Scientific Directorate, Neurological Institute C. Besta IRCCS Foundation, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Milda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerniauskaite
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quintas
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boldt
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raggi
authors.forename: Alarcos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cieza
authors.forename: Jerome Edmond
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bickenbach
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leonardi
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D014944:World Health Organization