Capturing and Classifying Functional Status Information in Administrative Databases

The health care delivery system aims to improve the functioning of Americans, but little information exists to judge progress toward meeting this goal. Administrative data generated through running and overseeing health care delivery offer considerable information about diagnoses and procedures in coded formats comparable across settings of care. This article explores the issues raised when considering adding coded information about functional status to administrative databases throughout the health care system. The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) identified the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as the only viable code set for consistently reporting functional status.