title: Is a rehabilitation treatment taxonomy the right answer to the rehabilitation black box?
abstract: In this commentary on the development of an interventions taxonomy for medical rehabilitation, a rehabilitation treatment taxonomy (RTT), we acknowledge the authors' valuable contribution to rehabilitation science, and at the same time interrogate the assumption that a taxonomy has essential added value to address the challenge of rehabilitation's black box. The tripartite analytical structure of action of treatment, active ingredient, and mechanism of action, and not an RTT, is the key to addressing the rehabilitation black box. There is a need for clearly defined operationalized requirements of how the 3 components have to be expressed. We also recommend that this concerted effort be linked to all relevant stakeholders and all international endeavors that are pursuing a common goal of enhancing rehabilitation research.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Public Health and Health Services Research, Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland. Electronic address: a.cieza@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alarcos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cieza
authors.affiliation: Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bickenbach
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty / Q000145:classification* / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Classification; ICF; ICHI; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; International Classification of Health Interventions; RTT; Rehabilitation; rehabilitation treatment taxonomy