While there are many studies about the World Health Organization’s international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF), there is need for more comprehensive examination of the relationship between the mobility scales for those with amputations and the ICF, according to a recent study.
To analyze the content of four amputee mobility scales at the item level using the ICF, researchers used the Locomotor Capacity Index, Rivermead Mobility Index, Amputee Mobility Predictor, and Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility. The methods were analyzed by two health professionals for content comparison according to the ICF categories. Kappa statistic was used to calculate the degree of agreement between the two investigators.
Results of the study showed that 62 items in the scales were analyzed and linked with ICF codes. The scale questions were linked with 27 different ICF codes as follows: one (3.7 percent) “body function;” 23 (85.1 percent) “activity and participation;” two (7.5 percent) “environmental factors;” and one (3.7 percent) “not definable.”
As a result, the researchers concluded that the ICF is a highly effective resource that can be used in the analysis of amputee mobility scales. Because the scale items are more concentrated on the mobility chapter, it was seen that the scales generally served their purposes, according to the study.
The study “Content comparison of four commonly used amputee mobility assessment scales in the literature by linking to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health,” was published in the journal, Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
