[Rehabilitation Recommendations According to § 31 SGB XI: Empiricism, Discussion and Health Policy Implications].

One previously assumed reason for the low rate of patients taking advantage of recommended rehabilitation was that those in need of care had already received rehabilitation in the previous year. In this study focussing on whether recommended rehabilitation is taken advantage of, this assumption was found not to be correct. The question needs to be raised whether the strong focus in Germany on inpatient rehabilitation is up-to-date, both medically and with regard to the preferences of those entitled to rehabilitation. In contrast to inpatient rehabilitation, individual, outpatient and, if necessary, mobile rehabilitation offers might be more suitable, and these would also take into consideration issues of individual mobility and patient autonomy. The offer of different modes of rehabilitation also enables meeting the wish of those patients who prefer to have rehabilitation carried out in a home environment.