WMR-check-up
Modular assessment methods for the evaluation of determination and further development of WMR concepts in Rehabilitation Clinics
Work is often linked to identity, social status, structure and fixed procedures, social contacts, fulfillment of role expectations and, last but not least, income. For most people, work has an important meaning in order to participate in work and society within the scope of their possibilities.
The medical rehabilitation of the pension insurance aims to enable insured persons with – especially chronic – illnesses to return to their jobs or to start another profession. It is intended to eliminate an "impairment of earning capacity" or to prevent or postpone "premature retirement".
In the future development of rehabilitation, the maintenance of earning capacity and thus also Work-Related Medical Rehabilitation (WMR) will play an increasingly important role for reasons of demographic development alone.
Numerous studies have shown that WMR can increase the probability of stable occupational participation in orthopaedic, and with some limitations, psychosomatic and cardiological rehabilitation in the medium and long term compared to conventional medical rehabilitation. However, WMR is only effective if early and valid identification of the target group, consistent job-related orientation and the individually necessary "WMR dose" are ensured. In addition, the perceived occupational focus of the rehabilitation measure by the rehabilitants has crystallised as a decisive moderator for the success of work-related strategies.
The degree of WMR implementation was increasingly integrated into the external quality assurance of the DRV, which confronts the clinics with the task of continuously reviewing and developing their WMR concept. Within the framework of external quality assurance, the WMR requirement profile is the evaluation basis for WMR concepts and their implementation in the clinics.
In the various phases of the development and implementation of WMR concepts, clinics often lack indications of the extent to which they already meet these requirements or the extent to which they need to adapt the concepts within the clinic. It is therefore helpful for clinics to subject their WMR concept to an analysis of strengths and weaknesses (WMR check-up), which provides clinics with an individual, tailored and timely analysis of the degree of implementation of the MBOR offers (WMR maturity level) from the perspective of different interest groups.
The modular WMR check-up is a cross-indication and process-independent service for clinics that want to include WMR offers in their concept or develop towards MBOR recognition, as well as for institutions that already offer WMR levels B-C.
This allows key figures to be derived from different perspectives, which can be used as a basis for a continuous improvement of the WMR orientation in the sense of a PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and can also measure the degree of implementation in the course of the process. This can be done with the instructors of internal quality management (rehabilitation survey, projects, quality circles, audits, management review) or with external support.
In addition to improved "WMR quality", the MBOR check-up enables clinic comparisons, creates incentives for improvement and facilitates cross-clinic learning processes ("learning from the best"). In this way, it can be avoided that only isolated, acquisition-related therapy modules are implemented in addition to "standard rehabilitation", which often miss the need and also cause high investments. Various studies point out that a high WMR implementation from the user’s perspective also positively influences central parameters of external quality assurance that are relevant for occupancy control, which should be an additional incentive for clinics to implement a good WMR.
