[Subjective need for rehabilitation, intention to apply and application for medical rehabilitation--results of a survey of federal insurance office].

The survey "Determinants in Applying for Medical Rehabilitation" intended to examine the interest of using rehabilitation services among workers in need of rehabilitation and clarify the reasons for the decline in applications for rehabilitation since 1995. For this reason 4400 blue collar workers of the regional pension fund (2% of the LVA population aged 40-59 years) were asked with a postal questionnaire. The response rate was 64%. In order to ensure the validity of the intentions stated, the pension fund verified how many workers actually filed an application for medical rehabilitation during the following twelve months. A quarter of the workers answering considered themselves in need for rehabilitation. Of these, 41% intended to file an application, 34% intended not to do so and 25% were undecided. The main reasons for intending to apply were encouragement by the GP and family members as well as the expectation of improving the working capacity. After one year, only 11% of the workers who claimed themselves to be in need for rehabilitation had filed an application for rehabilitation. This low number of applications from workers in subjective need for rehabilitation indicates a deficit in medical rehabilitation provision.