Skip to main content

Rehabilitation can improve quality of life and reduce sick leave

Two women. One sits on a ball, supported by the other.

A new study shows that rehabilitation can reduce costs for society. People with long-term health problems had a better quality of life, and sick leave decreased.

 

Many people with chronic illness are absent from work due to pain and reduced function. The researchers therefore wanted to investigate the impact rehabilitation can have on health and work.

This is one of several studies in the research project RehabNytte, which is led by senior researcher Rikke Helene Moe at Diakonhjemmet Hospital.

In this new study, researchers followed 3,192 patients from one year before rehabilitation to two years after. The patients received rehabilitation at 17 institutions in Norway.  

– The study shows a positive development among the participants. They had an improved quality of life, and the costs of sick leave fell after rehabilitation.

This is according to former GP and researcher Inger Johansen, who is the first author of the article about the study.

– It was patients with diseases of the joints and muscles who had the greatest improvement in health. Close behind were patients with various mental illnesses. Those with cancer had the greatest drop in costs, she says.

Great need for rehabilitation

Rehabilitation takes place in collaboration between patients and healthcare professionals. The goal is for people to function as well as possible and manage in everyday life and at work.

According to the WHO, one in three people in the world needs rehabilitation. This number is expected to increase. People are living longer, including those with chronic illnesses.

Need for more knowledge about rehabilitation 

– There is a need to increase knowledge about what rehabilitation means for people's health and the costs to society. This has been an important goal of this study. Politicians need this knowledge to be able to make good priorities, says Johansen.  

About the study

The study was led by researchers at Diakonhjemmet Hospital and the University of Oslo, who collaborated closely with the R&D network at Virke Rehabilitation.

The participants in the study were on average 53 years old, and around 70 percent were women. This is a common gender and age composition among patients at private rehabilitation centers in Norway. The participants were therefore representative of this patient group.

Rikke Moe says that they mapped daily activities that are important for managing themselves in everyday life. Pain and mental health were also measured.

The patients completed questionnaires at the start and end of rehabilitation, and also completed the same forms after three, six and 12 months.

– In addition, we linked to data from Nav on sick leave and social security, from the year before the rehabilitation and up to two years after. The prices for the rehabilitation itself were also registered, says Moe.

The researchers used this data to calculate the cost to society when the participants were away from work.

This was then compared to what the costs would have been if the sick leave had been at the same level as immediately before rehabilitation. In this way, the researchers were able to estimate what lower sick leave could mean for society's costs.

Increased quality of life, lower sick leave

– Overall, the study shows that patients experienced better quality of life. The costs of lost work also decreased in most diagnosis groups after rehabilitation. This was mainly due to lower sick leave, explains Inger Johansen.

Senior researcher Ingvild Kjeken at Diakonhjemmet Hospital is also participating in the project.

– Even small improvements can mean a lot for quality of life and for being able to work with long-term pain and challenges in everyday life, she says.

The researchers believe that more studies are needed to know what actually works.

– We especially need studies that compare groups, as this will provide more reliable answers, says Inger Johansen.

Facts about the study

  • The study is published in the journal EULAR Rheumatology Open . https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050708126000194
  • Method: Prospective cohort study.
  • The study included 3192 patients from 17 rehabilitation institutions in Norway.
  • The patients had diagnoses of rheumatic diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, severe obesity, mental disorders, sensory disorders, neurological diseases and others.
  • The participants were followed for two years after rehabilitation.
  • The researchers linked patient-reported health, via the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, with registry data on sick leave and social security benefits.
  • 17 of Norway's approximately 50 private rehabilitation institutions participated in the data collection:
    • CatoCenter
    • The Evje Clinic
    • Health Partner Rehabilitation Center
    • Hernes Institute
    • HLF rehabilitation
    • The Montebello Center
    • Muritunet Rehabilitation Center
    • NKS Health Center Akershus
    • Ravneberghaugen
    • Red Cross Haugland Rehabilitation Center
    • Røysumtunet
    • Selli Rehabilitation Center
    • Skogli Health and Rehabilitation Center
    • Southern Norway Rehabilitation Center
    • Health
    • Vikersund Bad Rehabilitation Center
    • Åstveit Health Center

The freshest

More news from REMEDY