The purpose of the development project was to create a rehabilitation assessment method which would provide detailed information regarding the customer’s (person undergoing rehabilitation) capability to function in different environments. The method is based on the ICF classification (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) by WHO. The set contains (1) instructions on how to create extended qualifiers for the ICF domains and make them suitable for the environment in which the current assessment takes place, (2) guidelines for external assessors on how to do the assessments, and (3) computer software for open environments. The target groups include people in rehabilitation for reasons of mental health, accident or illness, the long-term unemployed, and such young people who have trouble in integrating into society.

Policy Context

The project was funded with ESR funds by the Ministry of Education of Finland, with the purpose that the project should develop a method for assessing the success of rehabilitation, suitable for use in youth work shops to assess the functioning status of the rehabilitating customers. During the project, the target group was extended to cover all those in rehabilitation who are placed in a weak position in the labour market.

Description of target users and groups

The project focuses on unemployed people, those under the threat of becoming unemployed, those needing rehabilitation due to reasons of mental health, and other people who are difficult to provide employment for.

Description of the way to implement the initiative

The method is based on the customer’s self-assessment together with observations by other people (one or two persons) on how the customer’s functioning status appears in the given environment during the agreed period of time. Factors to assess (extended qualifiers) and groups formed of them can be varied according to customer and working environment, making it possible to provide individual assessments. As a result, information is gained on the following aspects of the rehabilitating person: - his/her physical prerequisites for functioning - his/her psychological prerequisites for functioning, grouped according to defined dimensions of the psyche - his/her societal (environmental) prerequisites for functioning. The data produced is arranged according to the ICF data structure, which makes it possible to transfer the data and to combine it with any other functioning status assessment data created similarly along the lines set in the ICF. The assessment results are presented graphically, making it essentially easier to interpret and analyse them. The data produced can be used for guiding rehabilitation activities as well as for supporting multi-disciplinary decision making.

Technology solution

The software developed in the project is based on open source code. Technology choice: Mainly (or only) open standards, Open source software

Main results, benefits and impacts

The first party to benefit is the rehabilitation organisation. When we are able to focus the rehabilitation activities directly on the restricting issues the impact is the best. In this work, we primarily use the data suggested by individual qualifiers as to what the individual issues are to pay attention on during the rehabilitation (eg. difficulties in group work, drug abuse etc.). The other party to benefit is the one working with workshop and referring the customer to workshop. When there is detailed information available on the strengths and difficulties of the customer, their multidisciplinary teams can plan realistic rehabilitation paths with the customer. The multidisciplinary team can utilise the acquired information in such a way that, in addition to a single qualifier, all of the qualifiers under the domain are taken under scrutiny. Eg. motivation (ICF b 1301) can be described by many qualifiers. In addition, the team can study a larger whole, such as eg. the group of the domains of social and interactive skills needed at work, and form the required view on the basis of this totality.

Return on investment

Return on investment: Not applicable / Not available

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - The method developed in the project functions well as a tool for guiding rehabilitation activities, and it also makes it possible to assess the impacts of the activities. Lesson 2 - The information produced by this method is visual and facilitates the cooperation of professionals in different fields. Lesson 3 - The ICF classification by WHO provides a common language for the transfer of information from one professional group to another. The ICF as such is not directly applicable as an assessment method, but it does provide a well-functioning platform for the development of assessment methods. Scope: National