[Do we have disease-specific standardization of training?]

As a consequence of the new Danish Municipal Reform introduced in 2007, most of the former hospital training service has been transferred to the municipalities. This study investigates if Denmark had a disease-specific standardization of training before the reform.

All Danish hospitals and municipalities were invited to answer a questionnaire about professional guidelines and the use of tests in connection with training of mobility disabled people.

Among the 68 hospitals and 270 municipalities included, the total response rates were 69% and 84%, respectively. In all, 116 training units were identified in the hospitals: 24 neurologic; 34 orthopaedic; 22 rheumatologic; 19 geriatric; and 17 "general". The geriatric and neurologic specialities had more professional guidelines and used tests more frequently than the orthopaedic and rheumatologic specialities. The use of standardized test in the municipalities and within the geriatric speciality was similar. Differences in standardization between clinical specialities reflect differences in the working conditions regarding specific disease patterns.

Before the introduction of the Municipal Reform, hospital training programs were standardized using speciality-specific guidelines and tests. Future investigations may show how this disease- and speciality-specific perspective on training is implemented under the new guidelines.