The Rehabilitation Index

Successful rehabilitation of any patient with a chronic or recalcitrant illness is governed by the degree of impairment, chronicity, expected response to treatment, intelligence of the patient, past work or school performance record, emotional stability, personality, influence of socioeconomic factors, influence of other physical defects, and motivation. If a numerical value is assigned to each of these factors, it is possible to compute with relative accuracy the rehabilitation index of the patient. This figure will predict the possible success or failure of the rehabilitation effort. This study was designed primarily for dermatology, but it should be obvious that the same factors affect rehabilitation in all clinical disciplines; therefore, this guide could serve as a model for all medical specialties.