Using content analysis to link texts on assessment and intervention to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - version for Children and Youth (ICF-CY).

Objective: To explore how content analysis can be used together with linking rules to link texts on assessment and intervention to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - version for children and youth (ICF-CY).

Methods: Individual habilitation plans containing texts on assessment and intervention for children with disabilities and their families were linked to the ICF-CY using content ana-lysis. Texts were first divided into meaning units in order to extract meaningful concepts. Meaningful concepts that were difficult to link to ICF-CY codes were grouped, and coding schemes with critical attributes were developed. Meaningful concepts that could not be linked to the ICF-CY were assigned to the categories "not-definable" and "not-covered", using coding schemes with mutually exclusive categories.

Results: The size of the meaning units selected resulted in different numbers and contents of meaningful concepts. Coding schemes with critical attributes of ICF-CY codes facilitated the linking of meaningful concepts to the most appropriate ICF-CY codes. Coding schemes with mutually exclusive categories facilitated the classification of meaningful concepts that could or could not be linked to the ICF-CY.

Conclusion: Content analysis techniques can be applied together with linking rules in order to link texts on assessment and intervention to the ICF-CY.