Predictors of the Use of Different Occupational Rehabilitation Measures: A Comparison of Integration Measures, Partial Qualifications and Full Training

Abstract

Occupational rehabilitation is an essential part of supporting return to work by the statutory pension insurance institutes. It is useful if health-related restrictions threaten the ability to work. There are various forms of occupational rehabilitation which differ considerably in terms of content, structure, duration, intensity of care and costs. The aim of the study was to identify personal characteristics that can influence the use of three different occupational rehabilitation measures. All rehabilitants who underwent an occupational rehabilitation in the cooperating occupational rehabilitation centre (Berufsförderungswerk) from 2009 to 2014 under the funding of the German Federal Pension Fund were included in the analysis. A multinomial logistic regression was calculated in order to obtain information on the predictors of utilization of three occupational rehabilitation measures (integration measure, partial qualification, full training). As potential influencing factors, various sociodemographic characteristics as well as various parameters that reflect the employment status of rehabilitants in the previous year were included in the model. The analyses included a total of 934 rehabilitants who had completed an integration measure (n=443), partial qualification (n=315) or full training (n=176). In the final logistic regression model, gender (p<0.0001), age (p<0.0001), education level (p=0.0033), driving license (p<0.0001), willingness to move (p=0.0012), recognized disability (p=0.0404) and the employment status in the third month before the start of the measure (p=0.0020) proved to be significant predictors of utilization. The utilization of the different occupational rehabilitation measures is determined by various influencing factors. In particular, the more extensive and cost-intensive full training are more likely to be taken up by younger, male and more highly qualified rehabilitants.