The ICD-ICF clinical model of hospital care

Because of the demographic shift and the increased proportion of patients surviving acute critical illnesses, the number of people living with severely disabling chronic diseases and, consequently, the demand for rehabilitation are expected to increase sharply overtime. As underscored by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), there is substantial evidence that the provision of inpatient rehabilitation in specialized rehabilitation units to people with complex needs is effective in fostering functional recovery, improving health-related quality of life, increasing independence, reducing institutionalization rate, and improving prognosis. Recent studies in the real-world setting reinforce the evidence that patients with ischemic heart disease or stroke benefit from rehabilitation in terms of improved prognosis. In addition, there is evidence of the effectiveness of rehabilitation for the prevention of functional deterioration in patients with complex and/or severe chronic diseases. Given this evidence of effectiveness, rehabilitation should be regarded as an essential part of the continuum of care (transitional care). Nonetheless, rehabilitation still is underdeveloped and underused. A new model based on ICD and ICF WHO disease and disfunctioning classification respectively and on pre-set clinical pathways is described. The aim of this model is to optimize clinical care in times of shortage of resources and huge increase in older chronic multi morbid patients.