International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for patients with vertigo, dizziness and balance disorders¹

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Grill, Eva^{a; b; c; *} | Bronstein, Adolfo^d | Furman, Joseph^e | Zee, David S.^f | Müller, Martin^{a; b; c}

Affiliations: [a] Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany | [b] German Dizziness Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany | [c] ICF Research Branch in Cooperation with the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications in Germany (at DIMDI), Nottwil, Switzerland | [d] Neuro-otology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom | [e] Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA | [f] Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Prof. Eva Grill, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 17, D-81377 München, Germany. Tel.: +49 89 2180 78223; Fax: +49 89 2180 78230; E-mail: eva.grill@med.uni-muenchen.de

Note: [1] The responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the ICF Research Branch

Abstract: Vertigo, dizziness and balance disorders have major impact on independence, employability, activities and participation. There are many measures for the assessment of the impact of vertigo, but no consensus exists on which aspects should be measured. The objective of this study was to develop international standards (ICF Core Sets) for patients with vertigo and dizziness to describe functioning. The development of the ICF Core Sets involved a formal decision-making and consensus process, integrating evidence from preparatory studies including qualitative interviews with patients, a systematic review of the literature, a survey with health professionals, and empirical data collection from patients. Twenty-seven experts selected 100 second level categories for the comprehensive Core Set and 29 second level categories for the Brief Core Set. The largest number of categories was selected from the ICF component Activities and Participation (40). Twenty-five categories were selected from the component Body Functions, six from Body Structures, and 29 from Environmental Factors. The ICF Core Set for vertigo is designed for physicians, nurses, therapists and other health professionals working in inpatient or ambulatory settings. ICF Core Sets create patient-relevant outcomes that can be used as evidence for the success of treatments.

Keywords: Vertigo, dizziness, quality of life, activities of daily living, social participation

DOI: 10.3233/VES-120459

Journal: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 22, no. 5-6, pp. 261-271, 2012