Selection of ICF Core Sets for Functioning Assessment in Disability Evaluation Toward the Assignment to Return to Work Programs and/or Disability Benefits

Abstract

Disability evaluation is crucial for deciding on claimants’ eligibility for disability benefits or their assignment to appropriate return to work programs. Recently emerging criticism points to low transparency and comparability of the evaluations. They are often reported in a poorly standardized way and focus on the determination of a claimant’s health condition rather than on a comprehensible documentation of his or her functioning at work. In addition, the evaluations hardly explain how the claimant’s work functioning is influenced by impairments and contextual factors. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) represents the worldwide standard for reporting on functioning and disability. Based on a biopsychosocial framework, the ICF conceptualizes human functioning holistically as the interplay between body functions and structures, activities and participation, as well as contextual factors and thus promises transparent reporting in disability evaluation. Moreover, the ICF taxonomy provides a comprehensive spectrum of categories for standardized documentation of functioning assessments which represent core elements of disability evaluation. ICF Core Sets preserve the ICF in a useable mode and may serve as practical tools for reporting on functioning assessments. This chapter illustrates how ICF Core Sets should be selected for functioning assessments in the context of disability evaluation toward the assignment to return to work programs and/or eligibility determination for disability benefits.