It is essential to study the effect (i.e. physical function, QOL, and return-to-work) and subsequently the costs of preoperative rehabilitation (conditioning of the body and mind for surgery) and rehabilitation if we as a society wants to improve patient outcome after common surgical procedures. There is lack of scientific knowledge about which parameters have clinical impact on the preoperative phase, what kind of rehabilitation works, how intensive it should be, and how long the intervention should last. Also, good methodological studies are needed to improve and develop the research methods in this field.

Our research strategy for rehabilitation is to carry out interdisciplinary studies to document the needs, the benefits, the costs, and the effects of rehabilitation, both pre- and postoperatively, focusing on functional capacity, QOL, and health economic aspects. Our primary target group is patients with self-reported low physical function and poor psychological resources.

Contact Inger Mechlenburg for further information.