International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

by World Health Organization

As a new member of WHO Family of International Classifications ICF describes how people live with their health condition. ICF is a classification of health and health related domains that describe body functions and structures activities and participation. The domains are classified from body individual and societal perspectives. Since an individual's functioning and disability occurs in a context ICF also includes a list of environmental factors.

ICF is useful to understand and measure health outcomes. It can be used in clinical settings health services or surveys at the individual or population level. Thus ICF complements ICD-10 The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and therefore is looking beyond mortality and disease.

Contents

ICF basic concepts

Main Part 1: Body functions and structures Activities and Participation

Part 2: Contextual factors

Guidelines and further background information

In view of the differing needs of different types of users ICF is presented in multiple formats and

ICF Full Version

A conclusive volume with glossary definitions and full list of codes including all details. Available in all official WHO languages (Arabic Chinese English French Russian and Spanish).

ICF Pocket Version

The pocket size version contains main 2 level codes (max. 99 per list) for practical purposes.

ICF on CD-ROM

The CD-ROM includes ICF in 6 official WHO and other languages and provides the following

1. Allows browsing the classification in its tree structure

2. Can display two languages at the same time

3. Provides advanced search functions

4. Cross-references via hyperlinks

5. Allows the user to select and work on subsets of the classification

6. Internet based upgrading facility which allows incorporating future modifications in the classification and additional language versions

7. Allows user to send comments and feedback to WHO.

302 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2001

About the author

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health. It was established on 7 April 1948, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The WHO is a member of the United Nations Development Group. Its predecessor, the Health Organization, was an agency of the League of Nations.

The constitution of the World Health Organization had been signed by 61 countries on 22 July 1946, with the first meeting of the World Health Assembly finishing on 24 July 1948. It incorporated the Office international d'hygiène publique and the League of Nations Health Organization. Since its creation, it has played a leading role in the eradication of smallpox. Its current priorities include communicable diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and tuberculosis; the mitigation of the effects of non-communicable diseases; sexual and reproductive health, development, and aging; nutrition, food security and healthy eating; occupational health; substance abuse; and driving the development of reporting, publications, and networking.

The WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, a leading international publication on health, the worldwide World Health Survey, and World Health Day (7 April of every year)