gms | German Medical Science

Background: The reform of the rehabilitation system in Russia is in process. It is necessary to use a common approach to assessing rehabilitation outcomes both at the individual level and at the level of professionals, departments, organizations, and regions.

Aim: The purpose was to develop a common approach to outcome assessments in rehabilitation at different levels.

Method: The study was based on the principles of system analysis and structured conceptualization applied to legislation and practices.

Results/findings: Several approaches to outcome assessments in rehabilitation were analyzed. The ICF can be applied as a classification that provides assessments from body functions and structures to the policy.

Analysis of dynamics in certain ICF categories is well described and based on changes in the severity of impairments. At the individual level, it is a set of categories (a categorical profile) for individual tasks. Comparison of professionals means effectiveness of task achievement. Comparison of departments contains changes in categorical profiles regarding to the specialization of the department. You can compare organizations and regions in this way. Thus, an integrated multi-level system of outcome assessment in rehabilitation may be created. The authors developed and proposed National Standards [1], [2] for goal setting and assessing outcomes of rehabilitation services.

Discussion and conclusions: The common approach enables assessing quality and dynamics of rehabilitation at different levels of rehabilitation management.