[Introduction of the Bavarian Scientific Rehabilitation Group]

As a part of the Rehabilitation Research Programme of both the Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and the German Pension Insurance, the Rehabilitation Research Network of Bavaria has begun its work after having completed a planning phase of three years. Under the heading entitled "Patients in Rehabilitation" physical, psychological and social consequences of chronic diseases are addressed from a bio-psycho-social point of view. The network contains ten research projects which are located in different university institutions and rehabilitation clinics all over Bavaria. These projects can be assigned to three thematic clusters: diagnostical and predictor studies; evaluation of treatments; interface problems in rehabilitation. The interventions to be evaluated are aimed at strengthening patients' coping abilities. Wherever feasable, randomized controlled studies are performed. Both economical and gender-specific effects are investigated. A central facility for coordination and methodological consultation was implemented at the University of Würzburg. The network has the objective of both improving the quality of rehabilitation research and education and increasing the resources of institutions doing rehabilitation research in Bavaria.