Changes in the employment market and improvements in the current prosthetic treatment have encouraged German Statutory Health Insurance e. V. (DGUV) to re-examine the standard values for reduced earning capacity after work related accidents. The new standard values for reduced earning capacity came into force on 01.11.2019. The present article summarises the consensus paper of the group of independent experts.
As part of the AUT-1A project, 123 employers were surveyed by questionnaires about their experiences with the employment of autistic employees. The aim was to identify the factors that promote and hinder employment. The study indicates that the vocational qualification in vocational training centers (BBW) has a positive effect on sustainable employment of people with autism spectrum diagnosis (ASD), but the support for companies is not sufficient yet. Also, a lack of education regarding autism-friendly environmental design as well as a lack of education about the diagnosis autism of the direct colleagues could be worked out.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to measure the status of digitalization and the opportunities and challenges for rehabilitation facilities connected to telematics infrastructure.
Methods: A partially standardized online survey of all providers of rehabilitation facilities in Bavaria (n=33) was carried out. The questionnaire with 36 questions included a scale based on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM).
Results: The level of digitization was reported as level 0 in 70% of the rehabilitation facilities (level model to 7). The transmission of patient-related data (incoming and outgoing) is often analogue, whereas the processing within the facility is already predominantly digital in many cases. When connecting to the telematics infrastructure, installation, training of staff and adaptation of work organization required quite a bit of effort.
Conclusion: Changes in the legal-financial situation in Germany open up new opportunities for increased digitalization of rehabilitation facilities. Hurdles are related to IT security requirements, staff training, and the low level of digitalization in hospitals, among doctors, and patients, which make digital data transmission difficult.
Background: Not only the severity of an injury, but also bio-psycho-social factors affect health-related quality of life and participation in social life after severe musculoskeletal injuries.
Methods: Multicentre prospective longitudinal study with follow-up up to 78 weeks after discharge from inpatient trauma rehabilitation. Data were collected using a comprehensive assessment tool. Quality of life was assessed using the EQ-5D-5L, return to work by patients' self-reports and routine data of health insurances. Analyses of the association between quality of life and return to work, change over time in quality of life compared to the general German population and multivariate analyses to predict quality of life were conducted.
Result: Of 612 study participants (444 men (72.5%); M=48.5 years; SD 12.0), 502 (82.0%) returned to work 78 weeks after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Quality of life improved during rehabilitation treatment from 50.18 to 64.50 (mean of visual analogue scale of EQ-5D-5L) and slightly to 69.38 78 weeks after discharge from inpatient trauma rehabilitation. EQ-5D index was below the values of the general population. In total, 18 factors were selected to predict quality of life 78 weeks after discharge from inpatient trauma rehabilitation. Among others, pain at rest and suspected anxiety disorder at admission had a very strong effect on quality of life. Contextual factors such as therapies after acute care and self-efficacy also had an effect on quality of life 78 weeks after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.
Conclusion: Bio-psycho-social factors affect long-term quality of life of patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Already at the time of discharge from acute treatment and even more at the beginning of inpatient rehabilitation, decisions can be made in order to achieve the best possible quality of life for those affected.

