Background: Functioning is considered a third indicator of health and a key outcome in rehabilitation. A universal practical tool for collecting functioning information is essential. This tool would be ideally based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.
Aim: To report the results of the development of country/language-specific versions of an ICF-based clinical tool in six European countries.
Design: Consensus process.
Setting: Expert conferences.
Population: Multi-professional group of rehabilitation professionals in six European countries.
Methods: 1) Developed an initial proposal by translating the published English-language version of the simple descriptions into the targeted language; 2) conducted a multi-stage consensus conference to finalize the descriptions; 3) employed a three-stage multi-professional expert panel translation back to English. The consensus conference model was modified for geographically large countries.
Results: Croatian, Flemish/Dutch, Greek, Polish, and Turkish versions were produced.
Conclusions: The creation of the country/language-specific simple descriptions is a significant part of the "system-wide implementation of the ICF" initiative that will pave the way for the implementation of the ICF in national health systems.
Clinical rehabilitation impact: The practical ICF-based clinical tool with country/language specific versions for standardized reporting of functioning will serve as a means of integrating functioning information in national health systems and additionally for monitoring the effects of rehabilitation interventions.