Training course “WHODAS 2.0. and disability evaluation”

Context and objectives

WHODAS 2.0. The “World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0” is a tool developed by the World Health Organisation to assess functioning and disability in six domains of daily life: understanding and communication, mobility, self-care, interpersonal relationships, activities of daily living, and participation in society.

WHODAS 2.0 is used in various clinical and research settings to provide a standardised measure of disability status, regardless of an individual’s specific medical diagnosis. It is used to compare disability across different populations and to monitor changes over time following therapeutic interventions or health policies. It exists in several versions, including a short 12-question version and a longer 36-question version. It was developed from a comprehensive set of items from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) that are sufficiently reliable and sensitive to measure the difference achieved by a given intervention.

WHODAS 2.0 is now particularly relevant in the context of disability policies and interventions, as it is explicitly mentioned in Article 5 of Legislative Decree 62/2024, which, with regard to the assessment of disability, refers to the use of WHODAS and subsequent updates thereof, with the exception of minors.

Article 6 also states that the assessment procedure may be requested electronically by means of the introductory medical certificate by the person concerned, the person exercising parental responsibility, guardian or administrator. If the applicant does not wish to undergo a direct examination, they may request to be assessed by sending the introductory medical certificate, the request to waive the examination and the WHODAS. It should also be noted that the WHODAS questionnaire is administered during the basic evaluation examination.

Programme

• Basics of the bio-psycho-social model;

• Structure of the various versions of WHODAS 2.0: 12 items, 12+24 items, 36 items;

• Contents of the various versions of WHODAS 2.0: 12 items, 12+24 items, 36 items;

• Workshop session involving simulation and discussion of cases presented by the lecturer.