ICF-Based Interdisciplinary Case Management for Individuals With Disabilities

NCT07813806 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: HSEARS20260103001
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates whether an interdisciplinary case management approach based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the Rehab-Cycle® framework can improve rehabilitation outcomes for adults with intellectual disabilities receiving community-based rehabilitation services. A total of 120 adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities will be recruited from community rehabilitation services and randomly assigned to either an ICF-based interdisciplinary case management group or a conventional care management group. Participants in the ICF-based group will receive coordinated assessments, goal-setting, intervention planning, and outcome evaluation conducted by an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team. Participants in the control group will continue to receive standard services delivered through conventional care management practices. The study will assess changes in functioning, activity participation, quality of life, life satisfaction, and rehabilitation team effectiveness. The findings will help determine whether ICF-based interdisciplinary case management can provide more personalized, coordinated, and effective community rehabilitation services for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Conditions

Intellectual Disability, Mild to Moderate; Developmental Disability

Keywords

Intellectual Disability; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF); Interdisciplinary Case Management; Community-Based Rehabilitation; Client-centered Practice

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• ICF-based assessments of the core set items

  The selected core set items will be used to assess (a) body functions (b117 intellectual function), (b) activity capacity and participation performance in daily living (e.g. basic interpersonal interactions) and (c) environmental and personal influence (e.g. e310 immediate family). The ICF 5-point qualifier will be used based on the converted results of the corresponding assessments with a scale from 0 (no problem) to 4 (complete problem).

  before and after the experimental and control interventions in a 6-month period

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)

  before and after the experimental and control interventions in a 6-month period

• Provider-Perceptions of Team Effectiveness (Provider-PTE)

  before and after the experimental and control interventions in a 6-month period

Study Arms (2)

ICF-based care management group with interdisciplinary Rehab-Cycle® process

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive an interdisciplinary case management program based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework and the Rehab-Cycle® model. The intervention includes ICF-based assessment, development of individualized functioning profiles, client-centered goal setting, interdisciplinary care planning, coordinated rehabilitation interventions, and regular team reviews. Healthcare professionals collaboratively identify participant needs, establish rehabilitation goals, implement interventions, and monitor outcomes related to functioning, activity, participation, and environmental factors within routine community rehabilitation services.

Behavioral: ICF-Based Interdisciplinary Case Management (Rehab-Cycle®)

Conventional care management group without interdisciplinary Rehab-Cycle® process

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive standard community rehabilitation services routinely provided by participating organizations. Assessments, goal setting, intervention planning, and service delivery will be conducted independently by individual healthcare professionals according to existing practice. No ICF-based functioning profile, structured interdisciplinary case conference, coordinated Rehab-Cycle® process, or formal interdisciplinary intervention planning will be implemented. Participants will continue to receive usual rehabilitation and support services throughout the study period.

Behavioral: Conventional Care Management

Interventions

ICF-Based Interdisciplinary Case Management (Rehab-Cycle®) BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive interdisciplinary case management based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework and the Rehab-Cycle® process. The intervention includes ICF-based assessment, development of individualized functioning profiles, collaborative goal setting involving participants and healthcare professionals, interdisciplinary care planning, coordinated rehabilitation interventions, and regular interdisciplinary review meetings. Interventions are designed to address body functions, activities, participation, and environmental factors according to each participant's needs within community-based rehabilitation services.

ICF-based care management group with interdisciplinary Rehab-Cycle® process

Conventional Care Management BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive standard community rehabilitation services routinely provided by participating non-governmental organizations. Assessments, goal setting, intervention planning, and treatment implementation will be conducted independently by individual healthcare professionals according to usual practice. No ICF-based functioning profile, structured Rehab-Cycle® process, formal interdisciplinary case conference, or coordinated interdisciplinary intervention planning will be used.

Conventional care management group without interdisciplinary Rehab-Cycle® process

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• between the age of 18 and 60 years old,
• intellectual disability with mild grade (IQ 50-69) or moderate grade (IQ 35-49) as confirmed by medical doctors,
• ability to communicate verbally in Cantonese or English.

You may not qualify if:

• acute and unstable medical conditions (such as seizures),
• Current or recent diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., active psychosis, major depressive episode within the past 12 months, or other conditions that significantly impair participation)
• Their caregivers will provide proxy consent if the participants with intellectual disability were unable to give the informed consent.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: lead
• Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service-Hong Kong: collaborator
• Salvation Army: collaborator
• St. James' Settlement: collaborator
• Yan Chai Hospital Social Services: collaborator
• Yang Memorial Methodist Social Services: collaborator
• University of Alberta: collaborator
• Sun Yat-sen University: collaborator
• Ludwig-Maximilians - University of Munich: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Related Publications (26)

• International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), Geneva, CH: WHO.

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Intellectual Disability; Developmental Disabilities

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Sam Chi Chung Chan

  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sam Chi Chung Chan, PhD

CONTACT

27664310; samcc.chan@polyu.edu.hk

Sam Chi Chung Chan

CONTACT

+85227664310; samcc.chan@polyu.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2026
• First Posted: September 10, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 14, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 14, 2027
• Last Updated: September 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (1)