[Results of a Survey Regarding the Implementation of Work-Related Medical Rehabilitation for Patients with Musculoskeletal Disorders: Identification of a Need and the Assessment of Work Demands].

Purpose: Research indicates that the implementation of work-related medical rehabilitation (WMR) is characterized by pronounced heterogeneity and that the requirements defined by the German Pension Insurance are not consistently met. The study aimed to investigate the implementation of the WMR guideline in patients with musculoskeletal disorders with regard to the identification of a need for WMR as well as the assessment of the individual demands of work.

Methods: 317 rehabilitation facilities authorized for WMR in patients with musculoskeletal disorders were invited to participate in a nationwide survey.

[Prediction of Utilization of Psychological Support During Vocational Rehabilitation].

Objective: Comprehensive psychological support is a distinctive feature of vocational retraining centers, pivotal in stabilizing the health of the rehabilitants, reducing dropout rates and facilitating return to work. For optimal resource planning within the vocational retraining centers, and thereby ensuring the best possible psychological support during vocational rehabilitation, it is crucial to be able to estimate the number of appointments of the rehabilitants in advance. Even though routine data is available, predictions using regression analysis have not been undertaken previously.

[Results of a Survey Regarding the Implementation of Work-Related Medical Rehabilitation for Patients with Musculoskeletal Disorders: Evaluation and Training of Work-Related Functional Capacity].

Purpose: Although work-related medical rehabilitation (WMR) has been established as a component of the rehabilitative care system for some time, particularly in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, studies indicated strong heterogeneity regarding the implementation of the guideline for WMR in Germany. This study is the first to examine the implementation of work-related functional capacity training and the preceding work-related diagnostics based on a nationwide survey of WMR health care professionals.

Methods: Rehabilitation facilities (n=317) authorized to carry out WMR in patients with musculoskeletal disorders were invited to participate in a nationwide survey.

Psychological Service Utilization and its Impact on Return to Work in Vocational Retraining Centers: A Cohort Study.

Purpose: Vocational retraining centers in Germany provide retraining for adults who are unable to continue their previous occupation due to health conditions. In addition to education and training, the centers provide support services, including the psychological service that assists rehabilitees in maintaining or regaining their mental stability. This study investigated which socio-demographic, health-related, and rehabilitation-related factors are associated with return to work (RTW) and examined the use of the psychological service and its association with RTW.

[Effects of a One-Week Inpatient Health Programme for Family Caregivers and Persons in Need of Care (SVLFG Care Tandem) - A Quasi-Experimental Study].

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a one-week inpatient health programme for family carers together with the persons in need of care (care tandem) on the well-being of family carers. Acceptance and subjective benefits were also assessed. The intervention was funded by the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (SVLFG).

Promoting Return to Work After Vocational Rehabilitation Using a Work-Related Fitness App: Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Retraining programs in vocational rehabilitation are often characterized by a low level of physical activity, even when targeting jobs with primarily physical demands. They might therefore be accompanied by a decline in functional capacity if the lack of physical activity is not compensated by increased activity during leisure time. The implementation of a work-related exercise app might be a promising approach to promoting a return to work in vocational rehabilitation.

[Risk-Adjustment of Return to Work After Medical Rehabilitation: Methodical Advancements in Quality Assurance of the German Pension Insurance].

Purpose: Besides the quality of life, patients' return to work is one of the most important treatment results of medical rehabilitation paid by the German Pension Insurance. In order to be able to use the return to work as a quality indicator for medical rehabilitation, a risk adjustment strategy for pre-existing characteristics of patients, rehabilitation departments and labour markets had to be developed.

Methods: Multiple regression analyses and cross validation were used to develop a risk adjustment strategy, which mathematically compensates the influence of confounders and thus allows for appropriate comparisons between rehabilitation departments regarding patients' return to work after medical rehabilitation.

Return to work after medical rehabilitation in Germany: influence of individual factors and regional labour market based on administrative data.

Background: The influence of both individual factors and, in particular, the regional labour market on the return to work after medical rehabilitation is to be analyzed based on comprehensive administrative data from the German Pension Insurance and Employment Agencies.

Method: For rehabilitation in 2016, pre- and post-rehabilitation employment was determined from German Pension Insurance data for 305,980 patients in 589 orthopaedic rehabilitation departments and 117,386 patients in 202 psychosomatic rehabilitation departments. Labour market data was linked to the district of residence and categorized into 257 labour market regions.

[More free time for me? Effects of a group intervention for informal caregivers based on routine data from the SVLFG long-term care insurance].

Background: The intervention is a multiday health program of the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (SVLFG) for informal caregivers.

Aim Of The Work: Does the intervention increase the use of outside help to gain free time for self-care?

Material And Methods: Using a quasi-experimental within-design, we analyze annual benefit data from the SVLFG long-term care insurance for the cluster sample Bavaria from 2017 to 2020 with intervention in 2018/2019. Using fixed effects panel regressions, we determine the effect heterogeneity for care relationship, duration of care and degree of care, adjusting for period effects (intervention and comparison group: 88 and 6045 persons with 207 and 16,091 observations, respectively).

Do patient characteristics affect the predictive validity of Functional Capacity Evaluations?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify patient-related characteristics that affect the predictive validity of the FCE assessment ELA.

Methods: A prospective multicenter study was conducted on 303 patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) recruited from eleven rehabilitation centers. The ELA-based estimation of the participants' ability to cope with physical work demands was considered valid if RTW was paired with a positive ELA outcome (≥ moderate) as well as if non-RTW was accompanied by a negative ELA outcome (rather or very poor).

Matching Perceived Physical Capacity and Work Demands: A New Classification of the Modified Spinal Function Sort (M-SFS).

Purpose The aims of this study were (1) to develop a new classification for the scores of the Modified Spinal Function Sort (M-SFS) which is related to the level of physical work demands and (2) to test the predictive value of the M-SFS classification. Methods The classification was carried out in 194 subjects with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) attending a work-related medical rehabilitation from four rehabilitation centers. External criterion was a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)-based work capacity estimation according to the classification used in Germany ("REFA") which differentiates between light, light to medium, medium and heavy work.

[Effect of a One-Week Health Program on the Mental Health of Caregiving Parents: A Controlled Panel Study].

Objectives: Parents of children in need of care and home care are a vulnerable group. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a legally funded, one-week health program of the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (SVLFG) on the well-being of the participating caregiving. Methods In a controlled panel study (intervention group IG n=23, comparison group n=33, allocation not randomized), the WHO-5 index was collected at several time points of measurement.

Predictive validity of a customized functional capacity evaluation in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Purpose: To examine whether the performance-based work-related functional capacity evaluation (German title: Einschätzung körperlicher Leistungsfähigkeiten bei arbeitsbezogenen Aktivitäten-ELA) can predict return to work (RTW) in patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).

Methods: A multicenter cohort study was conducted on 162 employed or self-employed patients with various injury-related and chronic MSD, recruited from four outpatient rehabilitation clinics. Patient-reported data on health and work ability were collected at discharge.

[The Return to Work Status One Year After Vocational Retraining: Is it an Indicator for Long Term Occupational Participation?].

Background And Objective: Vocational retrainings (VR) in the context of vocational rehabilitation are lengthy and expansive interventions. The question is whether the return to work (RTW) 12 months after VR can be a proxy variable for long term income trajectories.

Methods: Based on register data of the German Pension Insurance (Scientific Use File SUFRSDLV09B) fixed-effects-regressions were calculated to measure the effect of VR on the annual mean daily income in each of the 3 years after VR compared to initial level prior to VR and depending on the RTW.

[The Prognostic Validity of the Functional Capacity Evaluation ELA in Work-Related Medical Rehabilitation].

The aim of the study was to determine the ability of FCE (Functional Capacity Evaluation) to predict sustained return-to-work (RTW). A multicentric prospective cohort study was conducted in cooperation with 4 outpatient rehabilitation clinics. The sample consisted of 198 patients.

Small cleavable adapters enhance the specific cytotoxicity of a humanized immunotoxin directed against CD64-positive cells.

The most potent immunotoxins (ITs) developed to date contain bacterial or plant cytotoxic components. As these are potentially immunogenic in man, human proteins are preferred for the long-term treatment of cancer. We have developed the first humanized IT for the treatment of CD64 malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia.

Eukaryotic expression and secretion of EGFP-labeled annexin A5.

The Ca2+-dependent binding of annexin A5 to phosphatidylserine on cell surfaces is a reliable marker for apoptosis that is widely used in flow cytometry based apoptosis assays. In this approach, annexin A5 must be coupled to a fluorescent dye, but standard dyes such as fluorescein are photolabile, and the heterogeneous chemical linkage partially inhibits binding to phosphatidylserine. Recombinant fusions comprising annexin A5 and fluorescent proteins are available for prokaryotic expression, but can be purified only at low concentrations due to their low solubility in the cytoplasm.