Measuring work functioning in individuals with musculoskeletal disorders with reference to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: a systematic literature review

The assessment of work functioning is important to define needs in the context of vocational rehabilitation. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) serves as a framework to describe functioning and health. In reference to the ICF, work functioning can be described as consisting of work activities and work participation. A range of instruments are used in rehabilitation practice to assess work functioning. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify questionnaires measuring work functioning with reference to the ICF and to describe these instruments, their linkage to the ICF, and their psychometric properties. Instruments should be suitable for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. Web of Science and PubMed were searched for English and German studies published between 2001 and 2015. We focused on self-reported questionnaires measuring work functioning with reference to the ICF. Sixteen questionnaires fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The instruments varied in their linkage to the ICF and in their focus on work functioning. Questionnaires measuring concrete work activities differ from instruments measuring aspects of work participation in terms of absenteeism. The Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire is the instrument covering most ICF categories. The results show a range of different instruments that could be useful in certain settings. The description and comparison of the questionnaires can help to choose appropriate instruments in practice.