ICF

ICF stands for International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. It is a framework and classification developed by the World Health Organization to describe and measure health and related states. Introduced in 2001 as part of the WHO Family of International Classifications, the ICF provides a standardized language and structure for describing how people live with health conditions, complementing the International Classification of Diseases by focusing on functioning rather than disease alone.

The ICF views functioning as a dynamic interaction between health conditions and contextual factors. It is divided into two parts: Functioning and Disability; and Contextual Factors. Functioning and Disability comprises Body Functions and Structures, and Activities and Participation. Contextual Factors comprises Environmental Factors and Personal Factors. Each category is described with a coding system (for example, b for Body Functions, s for Body Structures, d for Activities and Participation, e for Environmental Factors). Qualifiers indicate the extent of impairment or limitation. Personal factors are acknowledged in the framework but are not codified with standardized qualifiers in the same way as the other components.

Applications of the ICF include clinical assessment, rehabilitation planning, and outcome measurement, as well as health policy and population health research. It supports cross-cultural comparability, standard data collection, and the development of patient-centered care plans. Core sets provide condensed selections of ICF categories for specific health conditions to facilitate practical use in settings with limited resources.

Apart from the health framework, ICF can also refer to other concepts, such as Insulated Concrete Forms used in construction. In the health context, the ICF remains the widely adopted system for framing disability and functioning within a biopsychosocial model.