Die Rehabilitation
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In the context of medical rehabilitation quality assurance, the use of screening procedures aims at specifically screening for rehabilitative cases that might be affected by quality problems. These may then be subjected to more elaborate quality management procedures. In the study presented, a criteria-based screening checklist designed to tap potential quality problems among rehabilitative cases in the German statutory accident insurance medical rehabilitation system was evaluated regarding its validity and suitability for routine use. ⋯ The instrument's potential of introducing the accident insurance administrators' expertise and knowledge into medical rehabilitation quality management strategies is highlighted. Further research on methodological aspects of the instrument as well as its content features is warranted. Starting points for modifications are outlined.
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Clinical Trial
[Influence of depressive symptoms and gender in chronic low back pain rehabilitation outcome: a pilot study].
Currently, little is known about the influence of depressive symptoms and gender-specific aspects in rehabilitation outcome of patients with chronic low back pain. Effects of gender and depressive symptoms on rehabilitation outcome were examined immediately after rehabilitation, as well as three and six months after rehabilitation in 116 patients with chronic low back pain (43 women, 73 men; M=48 yrs.; ICD-10 diagnoses: M45.4/M45.5, M54.4/M54.5). Immediately after rehabilitation, general improvements with medium effect sizes in all rehabilitation measures were found. ⋯ In contrast, especially male patients with severe depressive symptoms revealed regressive rehabilitation outcomes, both in pain-related variables as well as marginally in the coping with pain strategy of "cognitive restructuring". In post-hoc analyses, in the mid-term, they even showed a deterioration of functional capacity and somatisation compared to prior to rehabilitation. Our results suggest that the outcome of orthopaedic rehabilitation may be persistently improved by implementing gender-specific treatments in general and elements of depression treatments for the patients with severe but sub-clinical depressive symptoms.
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The SGB IX, book 9 of the German social code (Sozialgesetzbuch, SGB), which is the legal basis of rehabilitation in Germany, states "participation and self-determined conduct of life" as the ultimate ambition of rehabilitation. This concept of participation and disability is based on the WHO model expressed in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). In this model, participation after the onset of a health problem may not only be infringed by disturbances in body functions and structures and the resulting activity limitations but also by contextual factors such as environmental and personal factors. ⋯ Since contextual factors together contributed 41.6% (SD=17.2%) to the overall disability they have major relevance for the rehabilitation process, because they essentially decide on the extent to which abilities acquired by the rehabilitant during rehabilitation actually be transfered to his everyday life. Therefore, rehabilitation programmes need to include assessment and treatment of contextual factors. It hence is necessary to develop instruments to quantify contextual factors.