Terrorism and the international classification of functioning, disability and health: a speculative case study based on the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

PURPOSE

To argue that there is a need for a standard classification of functional status to track the consequences of large scale human disasters, such as the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001; and that the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) can meet that need.

METHOD

The need for tracking functional status following the September 11 attacks is assessed, and three hypothetical case studies of victims of terrorist attacks are presented and coded using a clinical short form of the ICF.

RESULTS

It is demonstrated that typical clinical case histories can be coded to the ICF and that the resulting information is useful for tracking the functional consequences of large scale terrorist attacks on civilian populations.

CONCLUSIONS

ICF research, development, and training should proceed with the goal of implementing the classification in professions and settings concerned with the functional consequences of terrorist attacks and other human disasters.