Medical rehabilitation in the present and a promise for the future

Advances in medical care have made it possible for individuals to survive serious accidents or illness. Many of these survivors will be disabled, a significant portion severely disabled. Dependence caused by disability results in enormous social costs. Medical rehabilitation can reduce such costs by helping the disabled utilise their abilities and increase their independence. Attempts to control costs of health care through health care financing have led to new approaches to providing rehabilitation services to those suffering from chronic impairments and long term disabilities.