abstract: 'Background: Employment rates among people with spinal cord injury or

  spinal cord disease (SCI/D) show considerable variation across

  countries. One factor to explain this variation is differences in

  vocational rehabilitation (VR) systems. International comparative

  studies on VR however are nonexistent. Objectives: To describe and

  compare VR systems and practices and barriers for return to work in the

  rehabilitation of persons with SCI/D in multiple countries. Methods: A

  survey including clinical case examples was developed and completed by

  medical and VR experts from SCI/D rehabilitation centers in seven

  countries between April and August 2017. Results: Location

  (rehabilitation center vs community), timing (around admission, toward

  discharge, or after discharge from clinical rehabilitation), and funding

  (eg, insurance, rehabilitation center, employer, or community) of VR

  practices differ. Social security services vary greatly. The age and

  preinjury occupation of the patient influences the content of VR in some

  countries. Barriers encountered during VR were similar. No participant

  mentioned lack of interest in VR among team members as a barrier, but

  all mentioned lack of education of the team on VR as a barrier. Other

  frequently mentioned barriers were fatigue of the patient (86\%), lack

  of confidence of the patient in his/her ability to work (86\%), a gap in

  the team''s knowledge of business/legal aspects (86\%), and inadequate

  transportation/accessibility (86\%). Conclusion: VR systems and

  practices, but not barriers, differ among centers. The variability in VR

  systems and social security services should be considered when comparing

  VR study results.'
affiliation: 'Roels, EH (Corresponding Author), Univ Med Ctr Groningen, Groningen,
  Netherlands.

  Roels, Ellen H.; Reneman, Michiel F.; Post, Marcel W. M., Univ Groningen, Univ Med
  Ctr Groningen, Ctr Rehabil, Dept Rehabil Med, Groningen, Netherlands.

  New, Peter W., Alfred Hlth, Spinal Rehabil Serv, Caulfield Hosp, Caulfield, Vic,
  Australia.

  New, Peter W., Monash Univ, Epworth Monash Rehabil Med Unit, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

  Kiekens, Carlotte, Univ Hosp Leuven, Dept Phys \& Rehabil Med, Leuven, Belgium.

  Kiekens, Carlotte; Van Roey, Lot, KU Leuven Univ Leuven, Dept Dev \& Regenerat,
  Leuven, Belgium.

  Townson, Andrea, Univ British Columbia, GF Strong Rehabil Ctr, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

  Scivoletto, Giorgio, IRCCS Fdn S Lucia, Spinal Unit, Rome, Italy.

  Scivoletto, Giorgio, IRCCS Fdn S Lucia, Spinal Rehabil SpiRe Lab, Rome, Italy.

  Smith, Eimear, Natl Rehabil Hosp, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.

  Eriks-Hoogland, Inge; Staubli, Stefan, Swiss Parapleg Ctr, Nottwil, Switzerland.

  Post, Marcel W. M., Univ Med Ctr Utrecht, Ctr Excellence Rehabil Med, UMC Utrecht
  Brain Ctr, Utrecht, Netherlands.

  Post, Marcel W. M., De Hoogstr Rehabil, Utrecht, Netherlands.'
author: Roels, Ellen H. and Reneman, Michiel F. and New, Peter W. and Kiekens, Carlotte
  and Van Roey, Lot and Townson, Andrea and Scivoletto, Giorgio and Smith, Eimear
  and Eriks-Hoogland, Inge and Staubli, Stefan and Post, Marcel W. M.
author-email: e.h.roels@umcg.nl
author_list:
- family: Roels
  given: Ellen H.
- family: Reneman
  given: Michiel F.
- family: New
  given: Peter W.
- family: Kiekens
  given: Carlotte
- family: Van Roey
  given: Lot
- family: Townson
  given: Andrea
- family: Scivoletto
  given: Giorgio
- family: Smith
  given: Eimear
- family: Eriks-Hoogland
  given: Inge
- family: Staubli
  given: Stefan
- family: Post
  given: Marcel W. M.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1310/sci2601-21
eissn: 1945-5763
files: []
issn: 1082-0744
journal: TOPICS IN SPINAL CORD INJURY REHABILITATION
keywords: employment; spinal cord diseases; spinal injuries; work
keywords-plus: 'QUALITY-OF-LIFE; EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES; RETURN; WORK; INTERVENTIONS;

  PEOPLE'
language: English
month: WIN
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '29'
orcid-numbers: 'Kiekens, Carlotte/0000-0001-8500-7751

  Post, Marcel/0000-0002-2205-9404'
pages: 21-35
papis_id: 4476a093c8970cea854e49b2cdb9d9de
ref: Roels2020internationalcompari
researcherid-numbers: 'Post, Marcel/AAS-2502-2021

  Kiekens, Carlotte/V-7545-2018

  '
times-cited: '9'
title: 'International Comparison of Vocational Rehabilitation for Persons With Spinal
  Cord Injury: Systems, Practices, and Barriers'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000615080700003
usage-count-last-180-days: '1'
usage-count-since-2013: '5'
volume: '26'
web-of-science-categories: Rehabilitation
year: '2020'