Using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps in Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Health status, although commonly defined in terms of the presence or absence of disease, can also be defined in terms of performance or functional status. Loss of performance results in disablement. The authors summarize the conceptual framework and categorization in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH) (1980) and the Model of Occupational Performance in the Guidelines for the Client-Centred Practice of Occupational Therapy (Health and Welfare Canada and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 1983; 1986). Complementary elements of the ICIDH and the Model of Occupational Performance appear to be recognition that performance is an element of holistic health influenced by the social, physical and cultural environment. Also, the ICIDH categories of disablement appear to be conceptually mirrored in the model's categories of occupational performance. The authors use client and service data to illustrate three uses of the ICIDH in occupational therapy: communication with other health professionals; program planning and management; and, clinical evaluation and research.

Clients using community occupational therapy services: Sociodemographic factors and the occurrence of diseases and disabilities

“…Overall, the ICF is a well-known and recommended system for OTs worldwide (38). Several conceptual OT models are close to the ICF structure and content (32), and hence the ICF is regarded as a complementary model to OT practice (32,39) and a good starting point to classify the observational findings of OTs (40,41).…”

A Standardized Paediatric Sensory Assessment for the Lower Extremity: Preliminary Results of a Reliability Study in Normal School-Aged Children

“…An impairment, such as lower extremity sensory deficits, can reverberate throughout the individual's system, and lead to dysfunction at other levels (Townsend, Ryan, & Law, 1990). The lower extremity is involved in many of the school-aged child's self-care tasks, including dressing (e.g.…”

Towards an ADL taxonomy for occupational therapists

“…According to Townsend et al (14)., the WHO classification defines disablement as the loss of ability for performing tasks of daily living, while OTs use a frame of reference which defines the presence of ability for occupational performance. The authors believe that disability is conceptually compatible with occupational performance.…”