title: Rehabilitation needs approached by health professionals at a rheumatism hospital.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the characteristics of patients referred to occupational therapists (OTs), physiotherapists (PTs) and social workers (SWs) at a rehabilitation unit in a hospital specializing in rheumatology, and the rehabilitation needs that clinicians and patients agreed should be addressed in the encounters with the particular health professional groups.
  
  
  
  Consecutive hospitalized patients at a rheumatism hospital were recruited by the health professionals. Questions about patient characteristics and rehabilitation needs were posed. Free-text responses to questions about rehabilitation needs were coded by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).
  
  
  
  The patients varied considerably in age distribution, disease duration, disability level and diagnoses, and several patients had comorbidities. The rehabilitation needs classified under the component Body Function fell into the chapters: Sensory Functions and Pain (PTs), Functions of Cardiovascular System (PTs), Neuromusculoskeletal and Movement-Related Functions (OTs, PTs); under the Activity and Participation component, these were: General Tasks and Demands (OTs), Mobility (OTs), Self-Care (PTs), Interpersonal Interactions and Relationships (SWs) and Major Life Stress (SWs); and under the Environmental Factors component these were: Products and Technology (OTs) and Services, Systems and Politics (SWs).
  
  
  
  The patients were fairly heterogeneous. The needs identified in the encounters with the different professional groups fell into all three components of the ICF, and there was only a minor overlap between the health professionals at the chapter level of the ICF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, Norway.|Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Lillehammer, Norway.
authors.forename: Anne Marit
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mengshoel
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Lillehammer, Norway.
authors.forename: Åse
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Skarbø
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072087:Occupational Therapists; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D059825:Physical Therapists; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012219:Rheumatology; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000068217:Social Workers; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Rheumatic diseases; occupational therapy; physiotherapy; rehabilitation needs; social work