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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Crit Care Med. 2015 Jun;43(6):1265–1275. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000924

Figure 1.

Figure 1

A conceptual model of the disablement process and its application to a survivor of a critical illness. This framework illustrates how diseases (pathology) result in body system dysfunction (impairments) that limits an individual’s ability to perform basic actions (functional limitations) and prevent that individual from performing socially expected activities (disability). When applied to a hypothetical survivor of critical illness, the effects of critical illness alter the functioning of skeletal muscle and the brain to result in the inability to move one’s arms and legs as well as to remember and think clearly, preventing the patient from carrying out activities necessary to live independently such as ADLs (dressing, bathing, walking across a room), IADLs (managing money, cooking a meal) or to remain employed. ARDS, the acute respiratory distress syndrome; ICU, intensive care unit; ADLs, activities of daily living; IADLs, instrumental activities of daily living. Adapted with permission from Verbrugge LM, Jette AM. The disablement process. Social Science & Medicine 1994;38(1):1–14.