Feasibility of Applying the Extended ICF Core Set for Stroke to Clinical Settings in Rehabilitation: A Preliminary Study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential feasibility of application of the extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for stroke. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 40 stroke outpatients (>6 months after onset) admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine for comprehensive rehabilitation. Clinical information of the patients were respectively evaluated to link to the 166 second-level categories of the extended ICF Core Set for stroke. RESULTS: Clinical information could be linked to 111 different ICF categories, 58 categories of the body functions component, eight categories of the body structures component, 38 categories of the activities and participation component, and seven categories of the environmental factors component. CONCLUSION: The body functions component might be feasible for application of the extended ICF Core Set for stroke to clinical settings. The activities and participation component and environmental factors component may not be directly applied to clinical settings without additional evaluation tools including interview and questionnaire.