title: Clients' experiences of a work rehabilitation process.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe clients' experiences of a work rehabilitation process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten clients who had participated in work-related rehabilitation at a rehabilitation centre in the northern parts of Sweden were interviewed using a narrative approach. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis focusing on clients' descriptions of the goals, contents and results of the work rehabilitation process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the beginning of the rehabilitation the goal was often to confirm a diagnosis, to become healthy and able to return to work. It was hard to be forced to change the goals. When fortunate the rehabilitation provided more profound guidance and function assessment. It resulted in changes varying from practical alterations to important insights into life. It was important to get support and understanding. When the rehabilitation was not adjusted to clients' needs, feelings of disappointment emerged and life became a struggle with various authorities in order to gain understanding and other forms of rehabilitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows the need to develop truly client-centred practice. Therefore, we emphasized, based on this study, the importance of professionals involved in rehabilitation working on different levels and in various settings having regular discussions about what the term client-centred practice means to them. Integrating individual perceptions is essential to advancing a multidimensional approach in return-to-work research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. Siv.Soderberg@hv.luth.se
authors.forename: Siv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Söderberg
authors.forename: Eija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jumisko
authors.forename: Gunvor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D013548:Sweden