[Virkersund Spa. Changes in patient admission and therapeutic outcome over the last 15 years]

Since the spa resort Vikersund Kurbad was reorganised in 1992 as a retraining unit, improvements have taken place. There is now one fulltime rheumatologist, two part-time general practitioners, 14 physiotherapists, one social worker and nurses in a new unit with a hot pool and an occupational therapy department. In this article, assessment data continuously recorded since 1981 are used to find out how the changes have affected patient intake and patient improvement. It was found that the patients now admitted are more disabled, but the number of patients who thrive and improve has increased. However, the intake of rheumatic patients has simultaneously decreased. It is suggested that measures are taken to enable more rheumatics to use the institution.