Implementation of guidelines for work-related medical rehabilitation in psychosomatic rehabilitation centers

Background: Work-related medical rehabilitation (WMR) aims to improve work participation of severely impaired patients by taking greater account of individual work demands and capacities. There is evidence of the effectiveness of these programs, especially in patients with physical impairments. The aim of the study is to develop guidelines for the delivery of WMR in psychosomatic routine care in a multi-perspective consensus process and to test their implementation in five rehabilitation centers. The implementation will be monitored with a process evaluation.

Methods: The study includes three work packages (WP). In WP 1, the guidelines are developed in a two-stage Delphi process and published. WP 2 implements the guidelines in five rehabilitation centers. In each rehabilitation center, a person responsible for implementation will be chosen to plan, manage, monitor and, if necessary, adapt the implementation process on site. Those responsible for implementation are prepared for the implementation process in workshops. WP 3 comprises data collection by questionnaires before and after implementation. We collect data on the reached group, the provided and perceived treatment dose and treatment fidelity. The primary outcome is the achievement of work-related rehabilitation goals. We also perform a cost analysis.