Linking the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health

Assistive technologies are widely implemented in clinical and research settings. Despite their dissemination, the psychosocial impact of their adoption still deserves further consideration. The aim of the present study is to determine the degree of compatibility between the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

Six health professionals (two neurologists, one neuro-rehabilitation technician, two psychologists, one university professor of rehabilitation) created a technical board to discuss upon the PIADS–ICF linking. The standardized linking methodology was applied, and a Delphi technique was used to examine consensus.

Five Delphi sessions were required to reach 100% of consensus and to finalize the procedure. Of the 26 PIADS’ items, 23 were linked to an ICF category: 9 items were endorsed at the 3rd ICF level, and 14 items at the 2nd ICF level. Two items were classified as “not defined” and 1 item as “not covered”.

The study highlighted the conceptual connection between the PIADS and the ICF framework and set a bio-psychosocial standpoint by which accounting the role of assistive devices in rehabilitation settings.