The Work Activity and Participation Outcomes Framework: a new look at work disability outcomes through the lens of the ICF.

Work disability is common among people with chronic conditions. The terminology in the field is variable and often used interchangeably and there is a lack of comprehensive frameworks to describe work as an outcome. Varied operationalization of work disability makes it difficult to establish precise estimates of the impact of chronic musculoskeletal conditions on work. A new conceptual framework was developed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and was named 'Work Activity and Participation Outcome (Work APO) Framework' which clarified definitions in the field. Applying the framework to people at risk of work disability and evaluating their outcomes could advance the literature.