Questionnaire to Assess the Work-Related Orientation of Medical Rehabilitation from the Perspective of the Rehabilitants (WMR-R): Cross-Sectional Study Comparing the Short and Long Versions

Abstract

The user perception of the work-related treatment is of great importance for the further development and success of work-related medical rehabilitation (WMR). The German Pension Insurance Fund (Deutsche Rentenversicherung DRV Bund) has therefore supported the development of the questionnaire WMR-R that can be used to assess the quality of the structure, process and results of work-related rehabilitation treatment from the patient's point of view. This paper presents a short version and compares it with the long version. Based on a representative sample stratified by indication, employed rehabilitants up to the age of 65 were randomly selected to be questioned 6 months after their rehabilitation with a long version (N=28276) or a short version (N=6611) of WMR-R. In addition, routine data of the German Pension Insurance Fund were included. 27 items each of the long version and 8 items of the short version are added up to a total score and compared with regard to test statistical quality criteria and sample sensitivity. Participation rates were slightly higher in the short version (31%, N=2115) than in the long version (28%, N=8019). The processing quality in both versions is comparable. The short and long versions correlate with each other at r=0.96 (p<0.01). Both versions have similar validity characteristics and separate well between WMR and standard rehabilitation. Both versions are robust to demographic, disease-related and socio-medical risk factors. Rehabilitants with addiction and psychosomatic as well as neurological diseases rate their rehabilitation as significantly more work-oriented compared to other indications, especially pneumology. Due to the low survey effort and the simple evaluation and interpretation, the short version is particularly suitable for routine surveys of WMR care quality. The long version allows a differentiated recording of the WMR offer of rehabilitation facilities in the sense of strength/weakness analyses.