[Vocational orientation in medical rehabilitation: development of a practice handbook and a homepage as user-oriented media for rehabilitative practice]

Vocational orientation in medical rehabilitation has become an important issue in rehabilitation science and practice in Germany. Although a variety of vocationally oriented interventions has been developed in recent years, there is still a lack of consensus with regard to the definition of specific types of interventions as well as relevant criteria (e. g., methods; instruments; duration/frequency; patient groups). Building on preliminary definitions, basic types of vocationally oriented measures/interventions were conceptually modified and refined in the context of a consensual process. 39 experts of various professions were contacted during a 2-stage Delphi survey to evaluate existing definitions of vocationally oriented interventions using key questions. Standardized descriptions of 5 vocationally oriented basic interventions were specified in cooperation with an interdisciplinary panel of experts. Descriptions were published in a workbook and a homepage for researchers and clinicians, which also contain information on the implementation of measures into rehabilitative care as well as good practice examples. The media developed in this project may contribute to the transfer of research results on vocationally oriented rehabilitation into health care practice.