title: [Associations of the Employment Status during the First 2 Years Following Medical Rehabilitation and Long Term Occupational Trajectories: Implications for Outcome Measurement].
abstract: Study Objectives:The aim was to investigate the predictive value of the employment status measured in the 6th, 12th, 18thand 24thmonth after medical rehabilitation for long-term employment trajectories during 4 years.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted based on a 20%-sample of all patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation funded by the German pension fund. Patients aged <62 years who were treated due to musculoskeletal, cardiovascular or psychosomatic disorders during the years 2002-2005 were included and followed for 4 consecutive years. The predictive value of the employment status in 4 predefined months after discharge (6th, 12th, 18thand 24thmonth), for the total number of months in employment in 4 years following rehabilitative treatment was analyzed using multiple linear regression. Per time point, separate regression analyses were conducted, including the employment status (employed vs. unemployed) at the respective point in time as explanatory variable, besides a standard set of additional prognostic variables.Results:A total of 252 591 patients were eligible for study inclusion. The level of explained variance of the regression models increased with the point in time used to measure the employment status, included as explanatory variable. Overall the R²-measure increased by 30% from the regression model that included the employment status in the 6thmonth (R²=0.60) to the model that included the work status in the 24thmonth (R²=0.78).Conclusion:The degree of accuracy in the prognosis of long-term employment biographies increases with the point in time used to measure employment in the first 2 years following rehabilitation. These findings should be taken into consideration for the predefinition of time points used to measure the employment status in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsmedizinische Forschung an der Universität Ulm, Bad Buchau.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holstiege
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsmedizinische Forschung an der Universität Ulm, Bad Buchau.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaluscha
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsmedizinische Forschung an der Universität Ulm, Bad Buchau.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jankowiak
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsmedizinische Forschung an der Universität Ulm, Bad Buchau.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krischak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015995:Prevalence; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult