[How great is the need for ambulatory rehabilitation in the orthopedics field?--Results of a multi-perspective approach].

: Despite the necessity to expand the outpatient rehabilitation system in Germany the development up to now must be described as quite reluctant. As yet there is a considerable lack of information about the demand for such care in Germany. On the basis of a complex study design insurants, applicants for medical rehabilitation, physicians in a rehabilitation hospital and general practitioners were asked how they estimated the demand for outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation care. Resulting data unanimously show a substantial demand in roughly one third of insurants who desire rehabilitation, clearly exceeding the already realized outpatient care. The investigation also illustrated that physicians often are uncertain as to their decisions and that depending on the respective point of view (insurants or different groups of physicians) there are different preferences as to the kind of rehabilitative care for the benefit of one specific patient. The results stress not only the fact that there is a demand for information of insurants and their referring physicians regarding the new outpatient rehabilitation offer, but also reveal the demand for a development of differential indication criteria for outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation, as well as for definite procedural regulations which should be harmonized among all insurers.