Use to record summary information about the supports required to enable or assist an individual when performing an identified activity. This information may be used to inform care planning, support provision, assessment of functional support needs, or service eligibility.
These supports may include, but are not limited to:
- human assistance, including physical or cognitive assistance from one or more people
- assistive devices, including medical devices and support animals
- environmental conditions that may support successful performance of an activity, such as a quiet room.
Support requirements may be identified across a range of activities and life situations including, but not limited to:
- Mobility,
- Self-care,
- Communication,
- Domestic life,
- Attending work or school,
- Community participation,
- Recognised groupings of activities, such as personal activities of daily living (pADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs), and
- Activities performed in regulated, occupational, or safety-critical contexts.
An activity may be:
- A simple or foundational action that can be observed as a discrete activity, such as standing, brushing hair, or gripping a cup.
- A complex or composite action that requires a sequence of simple actions, such as transferring from bed to chair, preparing a meal, managing medications, or driving a car.
This archetype is one of a set of three related archetypes designed to represent different aspects of how an individual functions in everyday life. Together, these archetypes support structured representation of functional ability, impairments contributing to functional limitations, and the supports required to enable or assist an individual to perform an activity. The other archetypes are:
- OBSERVATION.functional_ability and
- EVALUATION.functional_impairment_summary.
Granger CV, Hamilton BB, Linacre JM, Heinemann AW, Wright BD. Performance profiles of the functional independence measure. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 1993 Apr;72(2):84-9.
Organisation: Atomica Informatics
Email: heather.leslie@atomicainformatics.com
Date originally authored: 2026-03-16
Organisation: Atomica Informatics
Email: heather.leslie@atomicainformatics.com
Date originally authored: 2026-03-16
- Licence: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
- Custodian Organisation: openEHR Foundation
- References: Functional support requirements, Proposed data group. Sparked AU FHIR accelerator, Australian Clinical Data for Interoperability. Granger CV, Hamilton BB, Linacre JM, Heinemann AW, Wright BD. Performance profiles of the functional independence measure. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 1993 Apr;72(2):84-9.
- Original Namespace: org.openehr
- Original Publisher: openEHR Foundation
- Custodian Namespace: org.openehr
- MD5-CAM-1.0.1: 4F8FC2C7F6E89AAEB0816E20213D72FA
- Build Uid: 52ad48ba-9a4b-45a3-84ba-4528927d9bbb
- Revision: 0.0.1-alpha
For example: local information requirements; or additional metadata to align with FHIR.
Include:
All not explicitly excluded archetypes
Coding with an external terminology is recommended. Free text entry should only be permitted where no appropriate coded value is available. For example: rolling over in bed, transferring from bed to chair, walking; climbing stairs; brushing teeth, putting on shoes, menstrual care; reading, speaking, writing; preparing meals, doing housework; using public transport, seeking a job, withdraw money from an ATM; attending school, play sport, join a club, attend the theatre.
Support is used as an umbrella concept that may include human assistance, assistive devices, or environmental conditions.
For example: smartphone reminders, modified cutlery, reading glasses, hearing aids, mobility aids, prostheses, self-care aids, communication aids, or an assistance animal.
For example: smartphone reminders, modified cutlery, reading glasses, hearing aids, mobility aids, prostheses, self-care aids, communication aids, or an assistance animal.
Include:
openEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.device.v1 and specialisations
More than one 'Assistance type' may be recorded where applicable. The value 'No assistance' may be recorded when a previously identified functional requirement is no longer required.
Choice of:
Coded Text- None [No human assistance is required for the individual to independently perform the activity.]
- Supervision [Monitoring of the activity by another person to ensure safety, typically from nearby or at a distance and without positioning for immediate physical intervention.]
- Task preparation [Preparation of the environment or equipment by another person so the individual can perform the activity.]
- Cognitive support [Guidance on how to plan or approach an activity, or cues given during the activity to support completion of the task.]
- Physical assistance [Physical proximity or hands-on assistance from another person to support safe or effective performance of the activity.]
Text
Physical assistance may relate to safety, balance, coordination, strength, or motor execution during the activity. The simultaneous use of assistive devices or environmental supports does not determine the 'Physical assistance type', although it may influence the number of people required to provide assistance.
- Standby assistance (guarding) [The individual performs the activity independently while one or more people remain within arm’s reach, positioned to provide immediate physical assistance if required for safety.]
- Light physical contact (contact guarding) [The individual performs the activity independently while one or more people provide light physical contact for balance or stability only.]
- Minimal physical assistance [The individual performs most of the activity while one or more people provide limited physical effort.]
- Moderate physical assistance [The individual and one or more people contribute approximately equal physical effort to complete the activity.]
- Maximal physical assistance [The individual performs only a small part of the activity while one or more people provide most of the physical effort.]
- Total physical assistance [The individual is unable to perform the activity and one or more people provide all physical effort required.]
The number of people required may vary depending on environmental conditions or the simultaneous use of assistive devices.
This may include a named individual, relationship, or defined role, such as partner, family member, carer, therapist, or support worker.
Include:
openEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.person.v1
Include:
All not explicitly excluded archetypes