The REHABDATA Thesaurus was created in the earliest days of the NARIC project. We use Thesaurus terms every day to describe and index the publications and products that we add to the NARIC collection. It is a prescriptive document, seeking to define the terms used to describe disability and rehabilitation research. It is also a living document, meaning the terms may change, may even be replaced by new, more descriptive or definitive terminology. As we approach the eighth edition, we propose several new terms, updates to existing terms, and removal of terms that are not reflective of actual language usage in the community.
Comments and questions are welcome! Please send your comments to our managing editor, Jessica Chaiken, at jchaiken@heitechservices.com.
Recommended New Terms
Artificial intelligence (currently a non-term)
Related term: Decision support systems, robotics
Broader term: Computers, computer applications
Notes: MeSH 4th level term. Beyond decision support, AI can include machine learning, natural language processing, and neural networks. No ICF terms. Currently 43 records mention AI
Discrimination
Broader term: Attitudes, Attitudes toward disabilities, Americans with Disabilities Act
Notes: Discrimination was previously listed as a narrower term for some Thesaurus terms, but never had its own record. About 1,000 records mention discrimination (about 1/3 are not applicable to this definition of discrimination, i.e. discriminating between sounds or sensations).
ICF d7 Interpersonal Interactions and Relationships
ICF d720 Complex interpersonal relationships
Home and community-based services
Use for: Attendant care
Broader term: Medicaid, Home care, Community Based Services, Independent living
Related term: Long Term Services and Supports, Personal assistance services
Notes: Home and community-based services (HCBS) provide opportunities for Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services in their own home or community rather than institutions or other isolated settings. These programs serve a variety of targeted populations groups, such as people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or mental illnesses.
Approximately 200 records discuss home and community-based services in the Medicaid context
ICF I e5 SERVICES, SYSTEMS AND POLICIES
ICF III e575 General social support services, systems and policies; e580 Health services, systems and policies
ICF IV e5759 General social support services, systems and policies, unspecified; e5800 Health services
Long term services and supports
Use for: Long term care, Attendant care
Broader term: Independent living
Related term: Home and Community Based Services, Nursing homes, Personal assistance services
Notes: Long-term services and supports (LTSS) help older adults and people with disabilities accomplish everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, fixing meals, and managing a home. Care can be provided in the home, in community-based settings, or in facilities, such as nursing homes.
Approximately 65 records discuss long term services and supports. Approximately 1,000 records are indexed under long-term care. These will not be reindexed, but the LTSS record will include long-term care as a “see/search also”
ICF I e5 SERVICES, SYSTEMS AND POLICIES
ICF III e575 General social support services, systems and policies; e580 Health services, systems and policies
ICF IVe 5759 General social support services, systems and policies, unspecified; e5800 Health services
Section 501
Broader term: Employment, legislation
Use for: Rehab act (as appropriate)
Notes: only 10 or so records in REHABDATA mention Section 501, however this addition will bring the narrow terms in line.
Substance use disorder
Use for: Substance abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol use disorder
Notes: Substance use disorder in DSM-5 combines the DSM-IV categories of substance abuse and substance dependence into a single disorder measured on a continuum from mild to severe. According to the DSM-5, a “substance use disorder describes a problematic pattern of using alcohol or another substance that results in impairment in daily life or noticeable distress.” More than 1,500 records are indexed under “Substance abuse” or “Alcoholism.” These will not be reindexed, but will be available through the Thesaurus under a “see also” search.
ICF b130 Energy and drive functions
ICF b1303 Craving, b1304 Impulse control, b1302 Appetite
Proposed Nonterms
Alcohol use disorder – use Substance use disorder
Alcoholism – use Substance use disorder
Attendant care – use Personal assistance services, Long term services and supports, Home and community based services
Exoskeleton – use Robotics
Long term care – use Long term services and supports
Substance abuse – use Substance use disorder
Updates to existing terms
Civil rights – Add ADA as a Use Term.
ADA – Update scope notes to include ADA Amendments
Advocacy – Add d9 Community, social, and civic life and d950 Political life and citizenship as an ICF terms
Personal assistance services – add related terms Home and community-based services and Long term services and supports. Add Attendant care as a Use For term.