RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-15DOI: 10.1055/a-2821-0529
Niklas Tibbe, Nathalie Glamann, Verena Kakuschke, Stefan Dreßke, Regina Weißmann, Ernst von Kardorff, Joachim Thomas, Heike Ohlbrecht
{"title":"[Discontinuities in Vocational Rehabilitation: Institutional Frameworks and Biographical Trajectories in Vocational Training Centers (BTZ) and Vocational Rehabilitation Centers (BFW)].","authors":"Niklas Tibbe, Nathalie Glamann, Verena Kakuschke, Stefan Dreßke, Regina Weißmann, Ernst von Kardorff, Joachim Thomas, Heike Ohlbrecht","doi":"10.1055/a-2821-0529","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2821-0529","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article examines discontinuities that occur within measures related to vocational rehabilitation services (Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben, LTA). It explores how these discontinuities are experienced and managed by rehabilitation participants, and how service providers - such as Vocational Training Centers (Berufsförderungswerke, BFW) and Vocational Training Centers for Mental Health (Berufliche Trainingszentren, BTZ) - respond to such disruptions. The study identifies individual and organizational patterns of interpretation and coping strategies and derives recommendations for a biographically sensitive rehabilitation practice.This article is based on findings from two research projects that addressed the issue of discontinuities in vocational rehabilitation using mixed-methods designs and different methodological perspectives. Data collection methods included qualitative interviews with rehabilitation participants, expert interviews, focus groups, standardised surveys, and routine monitoring. The analyses were conducted using qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz, Mayring), Grounded Theory (Glaser & Strauss), and descriptive statistical methods.Discontinuities in the rehabilitation process occur frequently and in various forms. These included pre-existing experiences brought into the program, such as episodes of illness, psychological crises, premature termination of previous measures, or changes in internships. While BFW had to rely more heavily on continuous and standardised procedures due to their institutional mandate, BTZ responded with greater flexibility. Participants perceived these discontinuities ambivalently, viewing them both as obstacles and as opportunities for reorientation.Discontinuities reflect heterogeneous forms of individual coping with life and illness before, during, and after participation in vocational rehabilitation programs. Rather than being regarded as deviations from expected standard trajectories, they should be seen as challenges that call for a constructive, biography-oriented approach to dealing with setbacks, breaks, and detours. This approach can create space for individual development processes, which may contribute to more successful vocational rehabilitation outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147693789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-15DOI: 10.1055/a-2831-5045
Lisa Preissner, Lena Hünefeld, Bastian Pelka
{"title":"[How do transitions of people with mental disabilities from sheltered workshops to the general labour market succeed? A scoping review].","authors":"Lisa Preissner, Lena Hünefeld, Bastian Pelka","doi":"10.1055/a-2831-5045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2831-5045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transition of people with mental disabilities (PwMD) from sheltered workshops (WfbM) to the general labour market remain rare. The aim of this study was to identify factors that facilitate or hinder these transitions in order to highlight existing research gaps and provide impulses for future investigations.The scoping review followed an established methodological framework and the PRISMA guidelines. The literature research covered the period from January 2001 to October 2025. After screening and full-text review, eleven sources were included in the final analysis. Data analysis was based on a thematic approach to identify key influencing factors in the transition process.The findings showed that transitions were shaped by the complex interplay of personal, rehabilitative, and environmental factors. Facilitating factors included individual skills, motivation, initiative, labour-market-oriented support programmes, internships, and qualified support staff. Inhibiting factors comprised low self-competence, structural barriers within sheltered workshops, limited system transparency, and reduced inclusiveness of the general labour market. The review also revealed a strong dominance of conceptual contributions and a limited empirical foundation within the current research landscape.The results highlight the need for empirically grounded studies to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of existing transition instruments. Future research should apply more case- and observation-based designs to better understand the interactions between individual, institutional, and societal influences. Furthermore, closer cooperation within a multi-professional rehabilitation setting, as well as research into the professionalisation of educational staff in sheltered workshops, appear essential for strengthening sustainable transitions and improving the vocational participation of people with mental disabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147693782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-02DOI: 10.1055/a-2808-9973
Sofia Petrak, Matthias Bethge, David Fauser
{"title":"[Impact of psychological comorbidity in women with breast cancer on work participation after medical rehabilitation: A routine data analysis].","authors":"Sofia Petrak, Matthias Bethge, David Fauser","doi":"10.1055/a-2808-9973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2808-9973","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Psychological comorbidities in cancer patients are common and associated with additional limitations in work participation. This longitudinal analysis examines the impact of psychological comorbidity in women with breast cancer on work participation after cancer rehabilitation.We used the scientific use file \"SUFRSDLV20B\" of the German Pension Insurance. Women with breast cancer who had completed inpatient post-acute rehabilitation in 2017 were included. Characteristics of patients with and without psychological comorbidity at the time of rehabilitation and their employment histories up to two years later were analyzed descriptively. Multiple logistic regressions tested the association between psychological comorbidity and stable employment as well as receiving a disability pension.Data from 2,310 women were analyzed, of whom 478 (21%) had a psychological comorbidity. Women with psychological comorbidity were more often unemployed before rehabilitation (11 vs. 8%) and also more frequently received sickness and unemployment benefits after rehabilitation. Psychological comorbidity was significantly associated with a lower chance of stable employment (OR=0.7; 95% CI 0.5 to 0.9; p=0.010) and a higher chance of receiving a disability pension (OR=1.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.1; p=0.008) two years after rehabilitation. The strongest association was observed for depression.In women with breast cancer, a psychological comorbidity was associated with restricted work participation two years after rehabilitation. These results indicate the need for early detection of psychological comorbidities and psycho-oncological as well as work-related interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147610416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1055/a-2663-0460
David Fauser, Saskia Dötsch, Jessica Roder, Vera Kleineke, Dagmar Feddersen, Gregor Usdrowski, Matthias Bethge
{"title":"From assessment to action: A randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of a holistic diagnostic to enhance work ability.","authors":"David Fauser, Saskia Dötsch, Jessica Roder, Vera Kleineke, Dagmar Feddersen, Gregor Usdrowski, Matthias Bethge","doi":"10.1055/a-2663-0460","DOIUrl":"10.1055/a-2663-0460","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Employees can benefit from multimodal work-related intervention strategies. This randomised controlled trial tested the effectiveness of an integrative diagnostic service used to clarify intervention needs of employees with endangered work participation (German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00027577).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Employees with health restrictions and limited work ability were included and received an initial consultation with their occupational health physician. With computer-generated allocation lists, they were randomised to the treatment arms. The intervention group (IG) immediately attended a two-day assessment in a rehabilitation centre and then received follow-up consultations at the workplace. The control group (CG) started the two-day assessment six months after randomisation. Questionnaire data were collected from participants at their initial consultation and after six months. The primary outcome was the subjective work ability of the participants (Work Ability Score; 0-10 points). Secondary outcome measures included working conditions and sick leave duration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from 61 participants (IG: n=32) were analysed. A clinically important but statistically nonsignificant difference was found between IG and CG, including a moderate effect size for work ability (difference=1.15: 95% CI: -0.05 to 2.35; p=0.061). Clinically relevant differences were observed for sick leave duration in weeks (difference=-4.00: 95% CI: -7.49 to -0.51; p=0.025) and job insecurity (difference: -16.40; 95% CI: -29.82 to -2.99; p=0.017).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results suggest that the intervention led to a reduction in sick leave and improvements in job security and work ability. The effectiveness of the intervention depends largely upon whether the needs of individuals and the requirements of workplaces are taken into consideration. Participants could be selected by occupational physicians on the basis of the occupational skill level. Further research should consider the long-term effects and health economic analyses and structural requirements for a nationwide implementation, as well as employers' perspectives.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"114-123"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145088169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1055/a-2619-1313
Matthias Bethge, Pia Zollmann, Richard Albers, Bernhard Greitemann, Marco Streibelt
{"title":"[Work Participation after Medical Rehabilitation of People with Musculoskeletal Diseases: Representative Analyses Using Routine Data of the German Pension Insurance].","authors":"Matthias Bethge, Pia Zollmann, Richard Albers, Bernhard Greitemann, Marco Streibelt","doi":"10.1055/a-2619-1313","DOIUrl":"10.1055/a-2619-1313","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>We analyzed how people with musculoskeletal disorder who completed a rehabilitation program of the German Pension Insurance can be described before medical rehabilitation, how often work participation succeeds thereafter and which administratively available information is associated with work participation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used the German Pension Insurance's rehabilitation statistics database. Patients with a musculoskeletal disorder who had completed medical rehabilitation in 2017 were included. The analyses were carried out for the group as a whole and stratified by diagnosis group. Work participation was conceptualized both via a monthly status variable up to 24 months after rehabilitation and as a rate of all persons who were employed 12 or 24 months after rehabilitation and the three preceding months. Multiple logistic regression models with stepwise inclusion were calculated to analyze the factors influencing stable work participation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis included 335,792 completed orthopaedic rehabilitations. Two years after the end of rehabilitation, 66.2% of the patients achieved stable work participation. The most relevant factors influencing stable employment were the duration of sickness absence and the income from employment subject to social insurance contributions before the start of rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>One and two years after completing orthopaedic rehabilitation, around seven out of ten patients are in stable employment. Due to their prognostic validity, the influencing factors identified can be used to determine needs and allocate patients to work-related medical rehabilitation, graded return-to-work and, if necessary, other services for participation in working life.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"124-134"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144477898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1055/a-2733-7180
Jürgen Höder
{"title":"[Has Back Pain Rehabilitation in Germany Improved Since 1990? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses and Meta-Regressions].","authors":"Jürgen Höder","doi":"10.1055/a-2733-7180","DOIUrl":"10.1055/a-2733-7180","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim of this study was to examine whether rehabilitation outcomes for back pain, operationalized as pre-post changes, in Germany have improved since 1990 and whether they have reached clinically relevant thresholds.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Studies reporting changes in pain intensity, depression, catastrophizing, vitality, functional capacity, and days of incapacity for work across at least two measurement points were included. Meta-analyses using standardized mean differences were performed according to the random-effects model, distinguishing between short-, medium-, and long-term effects. Additionally, mean differences were standardized to the scale widths of the respective instruments and combined meta-analytically. A threshold of 15% of the scale width was used to define clinically relevant change. Subgroup analyses explored whether studies published after 2004 demonstrated better rehabilitation outcomes than earlier studies. Meta-regressions with publication year as a moderator variable pursued a similar aim.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 80 studies involving 19,844 participants were included, of which 57% were controlled studies and 5 used usual care as the control group. Meta-analyses showed mild to moderate improvements with high heterogeneity and medium study quality, but - except for a short-term increase in vitality - without achieving clinical relevance. More recent studies reported significantly better short-term improvements in functional capacity compared to older studies (0.21 vs. 0.38, p=0.014). Meta-regressions confirmed this finding. The heterogeneity of the results was considerable and could not be explained by characteristics of the studies, such as baseline status, the age of participants, or the number of study centres. The inconsistency introduces substantial uncertainty into the findings. Furthermore, it points to a deficiency in the uniformity of rehabilitation delivery.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite substantial efforts to enhance structural and procedural quality, there is no evidence that the effectiveness of back pain rehabilitation in Germany has improved beyond marginal levels since 1990. Outcomes remain predominantly below the threshold of clinical relevance. There is a persistent lack of robust randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the absolute effectiveness of these programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"84-92"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1055/a-2705-1734
Franziska Carow, Luka Marko Rašo, Matthias Bethge
{"title":"[Inclusive University (InUni): A cross-sectional study on the work-related inclusion experience of university employees with impairment].","authors":"Franziska Carow, Luka Marko Rašo, Matthias Bethge","doi":"10.1055/a-2705-1734","DOIUrl":"10.1055/a-2705-1734","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim of this study was to examine work-related inclusion experiences of employees at a university and to explore potential influences on the inclusion experiences of employees with impairment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a cross-sectional online survey, 199 employees were questioned about their work-related experience of inclusion using the perceived group inclusion scale. Two linear regression models were used, firstly to analyse differences between the experience of inclusion of employees with and without impairment and secondly to investigate the relationship between potential influences and the experience of inclusion among people with impairment. In addition, a qualitative content analysis on challenges and suggestions for improvement was carried out.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The experience of inclusion at work (1 to 5 points) was significantly poorer among employees with impairments (n=74) than among employees without impairments (n=125; b=- 0.35; 95% CI: - 0.58 to - 0.11; p=0.004). A visual impairment was significantly associated with a poorer experience of inclusion (b=- 0.57, 95% CI: - 1.05; - 0.10). Employees for whom social support was important had a poorer experience of inclusion (b=- 0.98, 95% CI: - 1.61; - 0.34). Employees with a recognised degree of disability below 50 had better experience of inclusion (b=0.75, 95% CI: 0.19; 1.31) than employees without a recognised degree of disability. Employees who were more open about their impairment had a better experience of inclusion (b=0.13, 95% CI: 0.05; 0.21). Employees with impairment were not fully acquainted with available services. Challenges and suggestions for improvement relate to infra- and organisational structures and social interaction.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Employees with impairments had a significantly lower experience of inclusion in our sample. We were able to identify some characteristics that may be associated with the experience of inclusion. Our results do not allow conclusions to be drawn about causal relationships and cannot be generalised. However, our study suggests several practical approaches for improving the experience of inclusion of people with impairment in the university work context.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"93-103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145642965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.1055/a-2804-0879
Christian Hetzel, Tobias Knoop, Nadja Freymüller, Mathis Elling, Thorsten Meyer-Feil, David Bühne
{"title":"[Conformance, Completeness and Plausibility of the Service Classification of Vocational Rehabilitation for Educational Services: A Routine Data Analysis].","authors":"Christian Hetzel, Tobias Knoop, Nadja Freymüller, Mathis Elling, Thorsten Meyer-Feil, David Bühne","doi":"10.1055/a-2804-0879","DOIUrl":"10.1055/a-2804-0879","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In 2017, the service classification of vocational rehabilitation (LBR) became mandatory for vocational rehabilitation centres as part of the German Pension Insurance's (DRV) quality assurance process. This joint study aims to determine the quality of LBR data by analysing routine data on conformance, completeness and plausibility, using vocational training services in vocational retraining centers as an example.This analysis is based on a scientific use file 'Completed rehabilitation in the insurance history 2015-2022', as well as data on the LBR and the assignment to rehabilitation centres. Following the selection of vocational training services (i. e., qualification and integration measures in vocational retraining centres), 35,878 measures from rehabilitants who ended their rehabilitation from 2018 to 2022 were evaluated. The documented LBR codes were analysed descriptively, as well as using logistic and linear regression models.Regarding the conformance of the LBR, the analyses showed that the documentation met the structural and content-related requirements. A review of the completeness of the LBR documentation revealed that the documentation increased over the years, but to date (2022), approximately 25% of the measures were still undocumented. The decision regarding documentation depends largely on the rehabilitation centre. Plausibility analyses revealed that the documented duration varied considerably between institutions. Furthermore, it was revealed that expectations regarding the association between personal characteristics (e. g., age, sex) or measure (e. g., termination of measure, scope of rehabilitative assistance) and the documented duration of LBR were only confirmed in part in an exemplarily selected subset of the data (with services relating to health literacy and therapeutic services).Overall, the results of the analyses allow a positive conclusion to be drawn about the quality of the LBR data with regard to conformance and completeness. In terms of plausibility, however, the results are inconclusive. It has not yet been possible to take any external evaluation standards into account. These should be developed in the next step.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147596106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RehabilitationPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1055/a-2705-1784
Verena Hartung, Alexander Tallner, Matthias Limbach, Konrad Schultz, Klaus Pfeifer
{"title":"[Evaluation of an app-based rehabilitation aftercare program focusing on physical activity promotion for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Results of a pilot study].","authors":"Verena Hartung, Alexander Tallner, Matthias Limbach, Konrad Schultz, Klaus Pfeifer","doi":"10.1055/a-2705-1784","DOIUrl":"10.1055/a-2705-1784","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate an app-based follow-up care program for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) post-rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>After a 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation, a 12-week app-based follow-up care program was conducted. The app-based program was based on the model of physical activity-related health competence. The core components were: (1) personalized endurance and resistance training plans, (2) activity monitors for self-monitoring, (3) e-learning modules, and (4) 1:1 coaching by sports therapists and physiotherapists of the rehabilitation clinic. The following outcomes were assessed with questionnaires at the start and the end of rehabilitation as well as after follow-up care: COPD Assessment Test, quality of life, depression, anxiety, fatigue, key symptoms of COPD, pain, sport-/exercise-related activities, leisure-time/transportation physical activity, physical activity-related health competence, and experiences with the follow-up care. An exploratory analysis examined changes in outcomes during rehabilitation and follow-up care (Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, α<0.05). Experiences with the follow-up care were analyzed descriptively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>42 participants (age: M=57.5; SD=5.6; BMI: M=29.1; SD=6.5; GOLD stage 1/2/3/4: 2.4%/50.0%/38.1%/9.5%) provided data at all measurement time points. Except for leisure-time/transportation physical activity and partnership-related anxiety, the outcomes improved significantly during rehabilitation. Exercise-induced dyspnea (d=-0.45) as well as the sub-competencies of physical activity-related health competence (movement competence: d=-0.69; control competence: d=-0.68; self-regulation competence: d=-0.80) showed further improvements during follow-up care. Sport- and exercise-related activity (d=-1.28) and sputum quantity (d=-0.64) improved during rehabilitation, but deteriorated during follow-up care (sport-/exercise related activity: d=-0.52; sputum quantity: d=-0.55). However, the values of sport- and exercise-related activity after follow-up care were higher than at the beginning of rehabilitation (d=-0.65). App-usability and the atmosphere during aftercare were high.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The effects of pulmonary rehabilitation were maintained or further improved in most outcomes over the course of the app-based intervention. These findings provide initial indications of the efficacy of the developed app-based follow-up care program.</p>","PeriodicalId":54504,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"104-113"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145946607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}