[Specialized rehabilitation of patients with rheumatic disease]

Patients with serious rheumatic disease do not only need treatment for the medical consequences of their disease, but also for the psychological, social and economic consequences. This article gives an overview of specialized rehabilitation within rheumatology in Norway and presents the National Resource Centre for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology (NRRK). NRRK offers treatment to patients with complicated inflammatory rheumatic disease. Rehabilitation at NRRK is multidisciplinary, client-centred, goal-directed and coping-oriented, and offers rehabilitation when no satisfactory service is available on a local or regional level. Documentation of treatment effects after rehabilitation at NRRK is briefly presented. Several self-reported health status variables (fatigue, coping, physical function, and several quality of life dimensions in SF-36) improved during the rehabilitation stay and up to 6 months follow-up. Cost aspects are of great importance for rehabilitation services in rheumatology, but have only been evaluated to a minor degree. Documenting effects of rehabilitation interventions remains an important challenge; evaluation should include the whole rehabilitation concept.