Work resumption after vocational rehabilitation: a follow-up two years after completed rehabilitation.
A short-term evaluation of vocational rehabilitation (VR) may give conclusions not automatically applicable over a longer term. The present study follows up alterations in work resumption or in social insurance benefits from the time of completed VR and during the following two years.


OBJECTIVE
The primary objective was to evaluate work resumption among previous sick-leavers granted vocational rehabilitation. The aim of the follow-up was to assess the stability of the outcome of VR over time and to analyse factors of importance for clients that remained at work.


METHODS
A register investigation was based on 815 cases where the clients had taken part in vocational rehabilitation and were served by one of six local social insurance offices of a Swedish county.


RESULTS
Of the clients studied, 52.4% had attained full working capacity The proportion had decreased to 37.4% two years later. One factor that differed between those who resumed work and those who returned to sick leave was the duration of the previous sick-leave period. Those who returned to work had had shorter sick leave, had jobs to return to and had received job training as a vocational rehabilitation measure.


CONCLUSIONS
The clients with the best chances of being in work two years after completed vocational rehabilitation were those with short sickness absence, who had been selected for job training as a vocational rehabilitation, were aged 16-29 years and were employed in industry.
Ahlgren
Asa
A
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden. asa.ahlgren@miun.se
Bergroth
Alf
A
Ekholm
Jan
J
Schüldt
Kristina
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D018582:Sick Leave; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome