Care pathways models and clinical outcomes in Disorders of consciousness.

Objective: Patients with Disorders of consciousness, are persons with extremely low functioning levels and represent a challenge for health care systems due to their high needs of facilitating environmental factors. Despite a common Italian health care pathway for these patients, no studies have analyzed information on how each region have implemented it in its welfare system correlating data with patients' clinical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A multicenter observational pilot study was realized.

A survey on feasibility of ICF-CY use to describe persisting difficulties in executing tasks and activities of children and adolescent with disability in Italy.

Background: The criterion for the provision of disability benefits to people under 18 in Italy is the presence of persistent difficulties in carrying out the duties and functions of their own age; however, no national guidelines are available to support the Disability Commissions in assessing such difficulties.

Objective: This study identified the different kinds of persisting difficulties in performing tasks and activities of children and adolescents with disability in Italy.

Methods: We used a protocol based on a selection of 55 categories taken from the Activity and Participation components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children and Youth version.

Sociodemographic features and diagnoses as predictors of severe disability in a sample of adults applying for disability certification.

To assess the association between sociodemographic factors and factors related to number and type of comorbidities, and presence of severe disability in a population of adults applying for disability certification. Data have been collected using a protocol based on the ICF Classification. Hierarchical logistic regression was performed to assess the association between severe disability and sex, age, marital status, education, living situation, number, and type of diagnosis.

Functioning and disability of children and adolescents in a vegetative state and a minimally conscious state: identification of ICF-CY-relevant categories.

Children in a vegetative state (VS) and a minimally conscious state (MCS) experience severe limitations as a consequence of nervous system deficits and require consistent environmental support. However, disability in VS and MCS children has never been described following a model that accounts for the presence of the symptoms, limitations and the support required. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to describe the functioning and disability of children in VS and MCS using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - version for Children and Youth (ICF-CY).

A population survey in Italy based on the ICF classification: recognizing persons with severe disability.

Aim of this paper is to describe functioning of subjects with "severe disability" collected with a protocol based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. It included sections on body functions and structures (BF and BS), activities and participation (A&P), and environmental factors (EF). In A&P, performance without personal support (WPS) was added to standard capacity and performance.

Towards a common disability assessment framework: theoretical and methodological issues for providing public services and benefits using ICF.

Purpose: To report on the preliminary results of an Italian project on the implementation of an ICF-based protocol for providing public services and benefits for persons with disabilities.

Methods: The UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities (UNC) was mapped to the ICF, and core elements were implemented in an ICF-based evaluation protocol. A person-environment interaction classification (PEIC) tree was also developed for defining evaluation outputs.

Children with disability at school: the application of ICF-CY in the Veneto region.

Purpose: To show the feasibility and consequences at 1 year of the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, version for Children and Youth (ICF-CY) in the process of social and scholastic inclusion for students with disability in a district of Northeastern Italy (Treviso province).

Methods: We describe the novel procedure for inclusion of students with disability launched by disability and education Services of the Treviso Province. The protocol was organized in four steps and involved health professionals and teachers throughout the whole Province.

The dystonic child treated with deep brain stimulation: ICF reading of a high-tech approach.

Purpose: The available tools used to describe childhood dystonia tend to offer a monodimensional view of the person functioning, which may overlook significant changes induced by treatment. We applied the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) perspective to the description of the clinical picture of a dystonic child treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) to get a more global representation of the treatment effect.

Method: An 8-year-old child with secondary dystonia was selected within the institutional program for advanced treatment of pediatric dystonia as a candidate for bilateral implantation of electrodes into globus pallidus and chronic stimulation.