Recently, the “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Expert Consensus Meeting on Disorders of Consciousness,” hosted by the Research Group on Reform of Medical Payment Models for the Rehabilitation Value of Patients with Disorders of Consciousness and organized by Nanjing Zijin Hospital as the leading institution, was held at the Jiangning Campus of Nanjing Zijin Hospital. Renowned Chinese rehabilitation medicine expert, Academician Li Jian’an, attended the meeting and delivered a key address. More than twenty distinguished experts from numerous medical institutions across the province—including Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital, Eastern Theater Command General Hospital, Nanjing Brain Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, and Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital—participated in the symposium.

This conference aims to deepen the reform of medical insurance payment methods, refine the rehabilitation‑related reimbursement system, and support the Nanjing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau’s rehabilitation payment reform initiative, with a particular focus on developing standards for functional assessment and rehabilitation therapy for patients with disorders of consciousness.

Academician Li Jian’an emphasized, when outlining the background of the research topic, that functional recovery in chronic diseases represents the core value of healthcare, and that improvements and reconstructions of function should serve as key performance indicators for health‑insurance reimbursement. He pointed out that, against the backdrop of ongoing health‑insurance reforms, the assessment of disorders of consciousness cannot be based solely on single dimensions such as speech or motor function; rather, a scientific, systematic, and multidimensional framework for functional assessment must be established to truly embody the fundamental principles of “value‑based healthcare.”

The meeting featured an in-depth discussion centered on the 20 preliminary ICF candidate assessment items. Participating experts employed a five-point rating scale—“very important,” “important,” “moderate,” “not very important,” and “not important”—to assign rigorous scores to each item. Following two rounds of vigorous voting and thorough deliberation, the experts ultimately reached consensus on the items comprising the ICF Core Set for Disorders of Consciousness, resulting in an expert consensus statement that balances scientific rigor, clinical applicability, and policy‑driven practicality.

The adoption of this consensus marks a pivotal step forward for Jiangsu Province in the coordinated reform of consciousness‑disorder rehabilitation assessment and medical insurance reimbursement. It not only provides clinicians with a standardized assessment tool but also lays a solid foundation for establishing a more scientific and equitable rehabilitation‑related medical insurance payment system in the future.
 

ICF Impairment Domain Combination