Value of using the international classification of functioning, disability, and health for stroke rehabilitation assessment: A multicenter clinical study

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) in stroke rehabilitation assessment in China and to identify correlations between the ICF and several commonly used clinical assessment instruments for stroke. In total, 52 hospitals and 5 premier rehabilitation and neurology research centers participated in this cross-sectional multicenter clinical study. A total of 2822 stroke patients admitted to a neurology or rehabilitation department of a participating medical center between July 2012 and June 2014 were included. The ICF checklist contains 4 parts with 128 two-level items: body functions, body structures, activities and participation, and environmental factors. We analyzed the results of ICF assessments and determined whether correlations existed between the various items of the ICF and several commonly used clinical assessment instruments. In all but 3 instances, the scores for the ICF-b-body function, ICF-s-body structure-degree of impairment, ICF-s-body structure-impairment location, ICF-d-activity performance, ICF-d-ability performance, ICF-e-facilitator, and ICF-e-barrier correlated significantly (P < .05) with the scores for the commonly used clinical assessment instruments. The ICF checklist is a new rehabilitation assessment instrument that is compatible with commonly used clinical assessment scales for stroke and can be used in combination with these scales.