ICF Core Set for patients with musculoskeletal conditions in the acute hospital.

Purpose: The aim of this consensus process was to decide on a first version of the ICF Core Set for patients with musculoskeletal conditions in the acute hospital.

Methods: The ICF Core Set development involved a formal decision-making and consensus process integrating evidence gathered from preliminary studies including focus groups of health professionals, a systematic review of the literature and empiric data collection from patients.

Results: Twenty-one experts selected a total of 47 second-level ICF categories. The largest number of categories was selected from the ICF component Body Functions (17 categories or 36%). Nine (19%) of the categories were selected from the component Body Structures, 11 (23%) from the component Activities and Participation, and 10 (21%) from the component Environmental Factors.

Conclusion: The Acute ICF Core Set for patients with musculoskeletal conditions provides all professionals with a clinical framework to comprehensively assess patients in the acute hospital. This first ICF Core Set will be further tested through empiric studies in German-speaking countries and internationally.