[Developing a rehabilitation databank for Germany--conceptional considerations exemplified by UDSMRSM (Uniform Datasystem of Medical Rehabilitation)]. / Entwicklung einer Rehabilitationsdatenbank für Deutschland--konzeptionelle Uberlegungen am Beispiel der UDSMRSM.

ABSTRACT

Current research in medical rehabilitation lacks well designed clinical studies to demonstrate the efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of rehabilitation interventions. Randomized controlled studies (RCTs) are difficult to conduct in rehabilitation research because of multiple variables and difficulties to include appropriate control groups. Therefore, we propose the development of a rehabilitation database and network for Germany to allow data collection from daily rehabilitation practice in the three areas medical-objective, perceptive-subjective and economical-social, designed after the example of the Uniform Datasystem of Medical Rehabilitation (UDSMRSM). This American database uses the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) to monitor functional changes in medical rehabilitation patients. Quarterly reports are sent out to participating institutions and allow comparisons with other regional, national and international institutions. The database demonstrates an initial step towards the concept of "evidence-based rehabilitation" by defining a common rehabilitation outcome and it allows benchmarking with other rehabilitation facilities. This permits the development of quality standards, cost analyses, payment systems and a new research methodology that can identify the most effective rehabilitation method through statistical analysis for focused clinical trials.