First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, together with Minister of Health Viktor Liashko and Advisor - President's Commissioner for Barrier-Free Issues Tetiana Lomakina, visited the communal non-commercial enterprise of the Bila Tserkva City Council "Bila Tserkva City Hospital No. 2" in the Kyiv region, where the "Basic Principles of ICF Application" course was presented for multidisciplinary medical teams.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a universal classification of health-related indicators, one of the three classifications proposed for use by the World Health Organization (WHO).
At the initiative of the President's wife and after long work by the Ministry of Health and experts, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was introduced as the national classifier 030:2022 "Classifier of Functioning, Disability and Health". All rehabilitation specialists should use this technique when working with human functioning disorders and disabilities.
It is expected that the introduction of the ICF will make it possible to take into account the medical, psychological and social needs of a person who seeks to recover and be independent after severe injuries and diseases, will encourage healthcare institutions to implement modern evidence-based, active rehabilitation, develop teams of specialists, and purchase equipment in accordance with the best standards. And the collected data on a person's state of health and capabilities will help the state plan aid and services beyond the rehabilitation department - in social, educational spheres, employment, etc.
"Doctors will receive the best tools, practices, knowledge, access to training in order to best restore the quality of life to those of our fellow countrymen, from whom the attacker wanted to take away all this. And here there is not only a medical, but also an important social plane. ICF is a step towards transparency. And there is also a psychological dimension here: the correct definition and rehabilitation give people back not only physical capabilities, but also faith in themselves and in life. Yes, our society has changed. It will not be the same as before. But it can be better if we provide decent conditions, decent treatment, and decent opportunities for everyone wounded by the war," Olena Zelenska emphasized.
In the near future, multidisciplinary teams in 244 medical institutions that provide rehabilitation services under the packages of the Medical Guarantee Program will start using the new system of evaluation and planning of rehabilitation care based on the principles of the ICF.
The First Lady and the Minister of Health also got themselves acquainted with the work of the multidisciplinary team at the base of Bila Tserkva City Hospital No. 2. Its rehabilitation specialists graduated in the framework of the three-year project of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on high-intensity rehabilitation implemented jointly with the Sunnaas National Medical Center (Norway) and also collaborate with WHO on training in the selection and use of auxiliary means of rehabilitation.
During the event, the "Basic Principles of ICF Application" educational course was presented. It is available on the "National Health Service of Ukraine Academy" educational platform. Currently, more than 1,200 specialists have registered for it and started training.
The project is being implemented at the initiative of the First Lady in the framework of the Strategy for creating a barrier-free environment in Ukraine. One of its components is the implementation of the ICF and the development of an effective rehabilitation system in our country.
"We are grateful to Switzerland and the European Union, which willingly share valuable work and experience with our doctors and therapists, provide technical support for the introduction of educational programs, help in the development of rehabilitation and the implementation of the ICF. Soon, in addition to the launched course, another one will start. It will relate directly to the documentation of the process of providing rehabilitation care based on the ICF. Educational courses are an important stage that gives impetus to the practical implementation of the ICF. This means that people will receive even better services," Viktor Liashko said.
The project is implemented by the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy, the Office of the President, the Advisor - President’s Commissioner for Barrier-Free Issues, SE "Electronic Health", "Patients of Ukraine" charity foundation, the School of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Ukrainian Catholic University and the Ukrainian Healthcare Center with the support of Switzerland, the European Union and Nova Ukraine.
“Training for rehabilitation professionals is important, and it directly affects the quality of care and the speed of recovery for everyone in rehabilitation. And the more specialists will communicate in the "unified language of functioning and vital activity", which is the ICF, the sooner we will be able to talk about the return of people to independence after suffering injuries, burns, complex diseases,” summarized Tetiana Lomakina.