In Search of an Integrative Measure of Functioning
by
Rosamond H. Madden 1,*, Nick Glozier 2, Nicola Fortune 1,3
, Maree Dyson 4, John Gilroy 1, Anita Bundy 5, Gwynnyth Llewellyn 1, Luis Salvador-Carulla 1,2, Sue Lukersmith 1, Elias Mpofu 5 and Richard Madden 1,3
Rosamond H. Madden 1,*, Nick Glozier 2, Nicola Fortune 1,3, Maree Dyson 4, John Gilroy 1, Anita Bundy 5, Gwynnyth Llewellyn 1, Luis Salvador-Carulla 1,2, Sue Lukersmith 1, Elias Mpofu 5 and Richard Madden 1,3
1
Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, P.O. Box 170, NSW 1826, Australia
2
Brain & Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett St., Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
3
National Centre for Classification in Health, University of Sydney, P.O. Box 170, NSW 1826, Australia
4
Dyson Consulting Group, 450 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia
5
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, East Street, Lidcombe 2141, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Paul B. Tchounwou
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12(6), 5815-5832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120605815
Received: 30 January 2015 / Revised: 26 April 2015 / Accepted: 15 May 2015 / Published: 26 May 2015
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disability and Public Health)
International trends towards people-centred, integrative care and support require any measurement of functioning and disability to meet multiple aims. The information requirements of two major Australian programs for disability and rehabilitation are outlined, and the findings of two searches for suitable measures of functioning and disability are analysed. Over 30 current measures of functioning were evaluated in each search. Neither search found a generic measure of functioning suitable for these multibillion dollar programs, relevant to a wide range of people with a variety of health conditions and functioning experiences, and capable of indicating support needs, associated costs, progress and outcomes. This unsuccessful outcome has implications internationally for policy-relevant information for disability, rehabilitation and related programs. The paper outlines the features of an Integrative Measure of Functioning (IMF) based on the concepts of functioning and environmental factors in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). An IMF would be applicable across a variety of health conditions, settings and purposes, ranging from individual assessment to public health. An IMF could deliver person-centred, policy-relevant information for a range of programs, promoting harmonised language and measurement and supporting international trends in human services and public health.
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Keywords:
functioning; disability; rehabilitation; public health; people-centred services; integrated care; measurement; assessment; ICF
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
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MDPI and ACS Style
Madden, R.H.; Glozier, N.; Fortune, N.; Dyson, M.; Gilroy, J.; Bundy, A.; Llewellyn, G.; Salvador-Carulla, L.; Lukersmith, S.; Mpofu, E.; Madden, R. In Search of an Integrative Measure of Functioning. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 5815-5832.
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