Catalog

Environmental factors

No MMS code

Link to WHO Definition

Environmental factors – http://id.who.int/icd/entity/1141487728

Environmental Factors make up the physical, social and attitudinal environment in which people live and conduct their lives. Environmental Factors is a component of Part 2 (Contextual factors) of the classification. These factors must be considered for each component of functioning and coded accordingly (see Annex 2). Environmental factors are to be coded from the perspective of the person whose situation is being described. For example, kerb cuts without textured paving may be coded as a facilitator for a wheelchair user but as a barrier for a blind person. The first qualifier indicates the extent to which a factor is a facilitator or a barrier. There are several reasons why an environmental factor may be a facilitator or a barrier, and to what extent. For facilitators, the coder should keep in mind issues such as the accessibility of a resource, and whether access is dependable or variable, of good or poor quality and so on. In the case of barriers, it might be relevant how often a factor hinders the person, whether the hindrance is great or small, or avoidable or not. It should also be kept in mind that an environmental factor can be a barrier either because of its presence (for example, negative attitudes towards people with disabilities) or its absence (for example, the unavailability of a needed service). The effects that environmental factors have on the lives of people with health conditions are varied and complex, and it is hoped that future research will lead to better understanding of this interaction and, possibly, show the usefulness of a second qualifier for these factors. In some instances, a diverse collection of environmental factors is summarized with a single term, such as poverty, development, rural or urban setting or social capital. These summary terms are not themselves found in the classification. Rather, the coder should separate the constituent factors and code these. Once again, further research is required to determine whether there are clear and consistent sets of environmental factors that make up each of these summary terms. First qualifier The following is the negative and positive scale for the extent to which an environmental factor acts as a barrier or a facilitator. A point or separator alone dedefinitions a barrier, and the + sign dedefinitions a facilitator, as indicated below: