[Development of an agenda for rehabilitation research in the Austrian pension insurance system]

Research agendas address areas, topics and contents where research is particularly needed. The aim of the study was to develop an organisation-specific research agenda for rehabilitation research in the pension insurance institution (PV), reflecting the research interests of various stakeholders in rehabilitation.The study was developed using a sequential, iterative research design with both qualitative and quantitative components. A narrative literature review and in-depth interviews were conducted with experts from the rehabilitation sector (practice, administration and science). The data generated were analysed, processed and consolidated. A subsequent Delphi survey was conducted in two rounds to identify the priority of potential research. The results were used as a basis for the final formulation of the research agenda.The Delphi survey helped to identify and prioritise a total of 116 concrete research items for inclusion in the research agenda. These were categorised, at progressively higher levels of abstraction, into 32 research topics, eleven research fields and four main research areas namely, Individual, Intervention, Institution and Interdisciplinary research.The interdisciplinary and multi-perspective development of the research agenda enabled a comprehensive exploration of the complex variety of topics/issues in rehabilitation. The research agenda will help to structure future research activities in PV and align them with the needs of the different stakeholders in rehabilitation. The methodological, theoretical and institutional foundations of rehabilitation research are also adressed to enable interdisciplinary research.