incapacity · model

Incapacity

Medical Model

Definition

Functional inability to perform physical or cognitive tasks due to illness, injury, or impairment.

Prerequisite chain

Condition. Illness, injury, or impairment exists
Functional status. Specific tasks (work, self-care, decisions) can't be performed
Applied test. Assessed in the current actual state (with existing treatment); prognosis separately considers future treatment

Assessment basis (treatment / aids) — Usually assessed in the person's current, actual state (i.e. with whatever treatment they are already on); a separate prognosis considers whether further treatment could restore capacity.

Qualifiers

Severity. Mild to total, often on clinical functional scales
Duration. Acute (short-term) vs. Chronic (ongoing)
Scope. Physical function, cognitive function, or both
Other. Distinguished from "disability" by its often acute/episodic framing

Impact

Impairs the ability to perform specific tasks (e.g.

Example

A doctor certifies a patient as temporarily incapacitated for 6 weeks following surgery, pending recovery.

Source: Clinical/medical practice

Language map: disability · Incapacity · Mitigated-state trap