Content comparison of 115 health status measures in sleep medicine using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a reference

Summary 

The objective of this systematic review and content analysis was to identify and quantify the concepts contained in patient-administered health status measures in sleep medicine practice and research using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a reference.

Both generic and condition-specific patient-administered measures/questionnaires used in sleep medicine practice and research were identified and selected. A comprehensive search strategy for reviews, National/International Guidelines and Standard References to ensure that all areas of functioning, disability and health were captured was used. The contents of the selected measures were examined and linked to the ICF using established linking rules. The frequencies of ICF categories covering the concepts contained in the 115 patient-administered measures were used for the descriptive analysis and content comparison.

Of these, 35 were of a generic nature, 17 were symptom-related, and 63 condition-specific. The concepts identified in the questionnaires’ items were predominantly linked to categories of the ICF component related to body functions (61.4%), followed by activities and participation (15.3%), and then environmental factors (9.8%). The measures vary greatly with regard to the number and specificity of the ICF categories covered, as indicated by the proportional indices of content density and content diversity. The ICF provides a useful reference to identify, quantify and compare the concepts contained in health status measures used in sleep medicine practice and research.

Keywords: Sleep disorders, Systematic review, Measurement, Assessment, Functioning, Questionnaires, ICF, WHO

Abbreviations: ICF, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, ICD-10, International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, ICSD-2, International Classification of Sleep Disorders, 2nd edition