[Is it possible to predict approval of medical rehabilitation by the extent of fatigue and subjective need for rehabilitation? Development, results and acceptance of a short screening].

Objectives: In earlier studies the lack of correlation between subjective need for rehabilitation of the applicant and the medically determined objective need for rehabilitation was reported again and again. The correlation between fatigue and subjective need for rehabilitation was not yet examined so far. Nevertheless fatigue is not defined sufficiently in the ICD, so interactions between chronic fatigue and somatic diseases are not taken into account appropriately.

[Guidelines for social medicine assessment and evaluation of primary fibromyalgia].

Primary fibromyalgia belongs to the spectrum of rheumatic soft tissue disorders. It is characterized by wide-spread chronic pain and a low pain threshold. The etiology of the disorders is still unknown.

[Population epidemiologic evaluation of the Hannover Mobile Rheumatoid Health Service].

The aim of the study was the evaluation of a potential selection process for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) referred to the Mobile Service for Rheumatics in Hannover (MSRH). The MSRH is the only referral center for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Hannover. A comparison of the health status was made between 58 individuals with RA identified in a population study, and 103 RA patients from the MSRH.

[Epidemiology of the treatment of patients with chronic polyarthritis in Hannover].

Between 1984 and 1988 a community-based study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was undertaken in Hannover (Federal Republic of Germany) to determine patient characteristics and the patterns of antirheumatic treatment. Among 8044 randomly chosen German residents aged 25 to 74 years, we identified 45 persons suffering from RA; minimal prevalence 0.56% +/- 0.

Treatment profiles in different groups of RA-sufferers: description, analysis, evaluation.

(1) 50 to 80% of all rA-sufferers treated by rheumatologists have received second line therapy in contrast to 7 to 27% at the community level. (2) Disease duration and disease activity do not seem to affect the treatment regimens of primary and other physicians working in or around Hannover. The same holds true for social and demographic characteristics of the patients.