Brief+Synopsis+of+the+ICF

= Brief Synopsis of the ICF  =



The ICF is the World Health Organisation’s, (WHO), language and framework for the description of health and health related states (WHO, 2002). ====It is a scientific tool for consistent, internationally comparable information about the experience of health and disorders that can help guide the SLT when formulating a management plan. It is important that the goals of swallowing rehabilitation are realistic, ethical and consistent with best practice for the patient. It is also very important that the clinician makes sure that their management and decisions made about the care of a particular patient are well researched and evidence - based. ==== ====The ICF is a synthesis of both the __**medical model**__, (which views disability as a feature of the person, directly caused by disease trauma or another health condition) and the __**social model**__ (which see's disability as a socially created problem and not attributable to an individual (WHO, 2002), without making the mistake each model makes in reducing the whole complex notion of disability to one of its aspects (WHO,2002) ====

1. **Health Conditions:** (diseases, disorders and injuries)
====2. **Contextual Factors :** Which are made up of, (A) External Environmental Factors :(social attitudes, architectural characteristics, legal and social structures, climate, terrain etc.), and (B) Internal Personal Factors: (gender, age, coping styles, social background, education, professional past and current experience, overall behavioral pattern, character). ====

The ICF views disability as involving dysfunction at one or more of the following levels: ·

 * 1) **Impairments**
 * 2) **Activity Limitations**
 * 3) **Participation Restriction**

More information on the ICF can be found in the following PDF
