Rehabiliteringsforløpet

Rehabilitering (rehabilitation) is a multidisciplinary process aimed at enabling individuals with illness, injury, disability, or aging-related limitations to achieve and maintain optimal physical, psychological, social, and vocational functioning. It focuses on restoring abilities, compensating for losses, and promoting independence and quality of life.

Types of rehabilitation include physical rehabilitation (postoperative, orthopedic, neurological), cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, psychiatric and psychological rehabilitation, addiction rehabilitation, and vocational rehabilitation. Interventions commonly combine medical management, physical therapies (exercise, mobility training), occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, assistive technologies, pain management, and psychosocial support.

Rehabilitation is delivered across settings such as acute hospitals, specialized rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, community programs, and home-based services. Care is typically provided by interdisciplinary teams that may include physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and prosthetists/orthotists.

Core principles emphasize person-centered goal setting, evidence-based interventions, functional outcomes, and continuity of care. Outcome measurement employs standardized tools for function, participation, quality of life, and return-to-work rates. Rehabilitation also plays a role in public health by supporting social inclusion and reducing long-term healthcare costs.

Challenges in the field include variable access to services, workforce shortages, funding constraints, and disparities in low-resource settings. Global initiatives, such as those led by the World Health Organization, advocate for integrating rehabilitation into universal health coverage and strengthening systems to meet growing needs associated with aging populations and chronic disease.