General early rehabilitation

General or interdisciplinary early rehabilitation on the acute hospital setting describes the earliest possible rehabilitative treatment coupled with the necessary acute medical care of patients from various medical specialist fields who have relevant impairment of their body functions and structures, activities and participation, as described by the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health). It is of special importance with serious acute health disorders (illness/accidents), complications and multi-morbidity, as well as for those with previously existing chronic illness, handicaps or a problem associated with aging. With the Sozialgesetzbuch IX (SGB IX) coming into force in the year 2001, early rehabilitation in hospital obtained a new legal basis. In 39 section 1 SGB V, early rehabilitation is now for the first time explicitly described as part of hospital treatment. It is therefore necessary to organise early rehabilitation so that as many patients with the medical need for rehabilitation as possible are registered and optimally cared for. Already existing resources such as in geriatrics, neurology (phase B) or in general early rehabilitation must be taken into consideration when planning the implementation of the new law. This article describes the development, Structure and Processes of general early rehabilitation. Since the mid nineties 16 hospitals have set up inpatient departments for interdisciplinary early rehabilitation with a present total of 535 beds. In 1999 physiotherapists Worked in almost 80% of all hospitals along with, although in much smaller numbers, members of other remedial therapy professions. The legally required early rehabilitation can at least partly be based on the existing structures of the remedial therapy professionals and general early rehabilitation. Currently there are no evidence-based estimations of the demand for therapy or for inpatient general early rehabilitation.