LINKING PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE FUNCTION TERMINOLOGY TO THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY AND HEALTH

Background: Standardized terminology properly anchored in consistent theoretical framework is crucial to effective communication among health care professional and public of interest, to the advance in scientific knowledge and dissemination of evidence-based practice. Objective: Aims were: a) to link the pelvic floor muscle function (PFMF) terminology identified in the literature to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) terminology; b) to identify which are the most investigated PFMF; and c) to map which are the most used instruments to evaluate those functions. Methods: This is a secondary analysis study from a systematic review on PFMF terminology held by our study group. PFMF previously identified in literature were linked to ICF terminology according to standardized linking rules. Three researchers performed the linking independently. Disagreements were solved by open dialogue with a fourth researcher. Percent agreement on linking between raters was calculated. Frequency of occurrence of the investigated PFMF, as well as the instruments used to measure them was registered. Results: By using the ICF standardized linking rules we could reduce the 196 PFMF terms used in the specialized literature into six terms. The most investigated PFMF were, consecutively: Power (25.6%), Involuntary movement reaction (21.9%), Endurance (17.2%), Control (14.1%), Coordination (9.9%) and Tone (4.2%). A wide variation of instruments used to measure PFMF was identified; vaginal palpation was the method employed to measure all six PFMF. Twelve functions (6.25%) were not covered by the ICF. Conclusions: Linking PFMF to ICF was feasible and valid. This may improve communication and foster the advance in scientific knowledge towards more precise assessment, diagnosis and therapeutic approaches for impairments of PFMF among women with pelvic floor dysfunctions.