Linking health-status measurements to the international classification of functioning, disability and health

With the approval of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health by the World Health Assembly in May 2001, the concurrent use of both health-status measures and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health is expected. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between these two concepts. The objective of this paper is to provide a systematic and standardized approach when linking health-status measures to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The specific aims are to develop rules, to test their reliability and to illustrate these rules with examples. Ten linking rules and an example of their use are presented in this paper. The percentage agreement between two health professionals for 8 health-status instruments tested is also presented. A high level of agreement between the health professionals reflects that the linking rules established in this study allow the sound linking of items from health-status measures to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.