title: [Modern information and communication technology in medical rehabilitation. Enhanced sustainability through Internet-delivered aftercare].
abstract: Internet and mobile phones open new avenues for the optimization of health services in medical rehabilitation. Various models of Internet-delivered aftercare after psychosomatic inpatient treatment have shown promising results. The focus of this report is on the experience in translating one of the promising models, the Internet-Bridge ("Internet-Brücke"), to every day health care. Effectiveness was estimated through comparison of 254 patients who were treated in a hospital specialized in psychosomatic medicine and who participated in the Internet-Bridge as well as in the 1-year follow-up in the frame of standard quality assurance between 2003-2010 with 364 patients of the same hospital who also participated in the 1-year follow-up, but did not utilize the aftercare. Sustainable, reliable, and clinically significant improvements were more frequent in participants of the Internet-Bridge, especially with regard to psychological well-being, social problems, and psychosocial competence-at small additional costs. Results are understood as encouragement to start translation to routine care accompanied by research.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsstelle für Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinik Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 54, 69115, Heidelberg, Deutschland. hans.kordy@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kordy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Theis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011611:Psychosomatic Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017216:Telemedicine; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult