title: Examining Functioning and Contextual Factors in Individuals with Joint Contractures from the Health Professional Perspective Using the ICF: An International Internet-Based Qualitative Expert Survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify disease-related aspects of functioning and disability in people with joint contractures from a health professionals' perspective and to describe the findings, using categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).
  
  
  METHODS
  An Internet-based expert survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  We asked international health professionals for typical problems in functioning and important contextual factors of individuals with joint contractures using an Internet-based open-ended questionnaire. All answers were linked to the ICF according to established rules. Absolute and relative frequencies of the linked ICF categories were reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty experts named 1785 meaning units which could be linked to 256 ICF categories. Among the categories, 24.2% belonged to the component Body Functions, 20.7% to Body Structures, 36.3% to Activities and Participation, and 18.8% to Environmental Factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health professionals addressed a large variety of functional problems and multifaceted aspects due to the symptom joint contractures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  International health professionals reported a large variety of aspects of functioning and health, which are related to joint contractures.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Uli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.|German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.|German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Science, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bartoszek
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Science, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.|Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.|German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grill
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003286:Contracture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064702:International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019145:Rehabilitation Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Contracture; activities of daily living; expert opinion; geriatric assessment; social participation