Analysis of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (Icf) to Predict Return to Work among Young Stroke Patients

The incidence of stroke in young people younger than 65 years has been increasing in recent years. Stroke not only impairs body function but also hinders social participation, such as return-to-work. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a common language and can link body function, activity and participation together. This study is designed to identify the ICF core coding for the young stroke patients and to analyze the clinical feasibility of using these core codes to improve the possibility of returning young stroke patients to the workplace, as well as the accuracy of the prediction. However, there are still few studies on social participation of young stroke patients worldwide, and is also lacking of longitudinal study. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between stroke, social support, and community activities during the first year after stroke, and to examine the relationship between performance, social support, and social participation. The program is a two-year project and will be conducted in a longitudinal manner. In the first year, the ICF core set of return-to-work among young stroke patients will be established by using Delphi method; the second year will analyze feasibility and prediction accuracy of the clinical return of young stroke patients to the workplace via the Taiwan Data Bank of Persons Disability (TDPD). The results of this study will help clinicians and researchers understand the changing needs of young stroke patients in the life cycle from hospital to community transition. In addition, it can also help clinicians to understand the impact of changes in patient's performance and social support on the changes in their participation, which can be used as an important basis for revising the current goal and content of rehabilitation treatment in Taiwan.