Author(s)

Luca Collebrusco

Rehabilitation Unit, National Health Service of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.

The financial crisis has caused a severe limitation of resources for the public health service and rehabilitation. The proposal of integrated diagnosis and treatment in rehabilitation, involving the introduction of new therapeutic models alongside orthodox models, could lead to a reduction in health care costs through better patient compliance. In rehabilitative assistance in health care, the limiting of financial resources can be simplified, given its multifaceted nature and the need to integrate clinical experience with research. In addition, the phases of rehabilitative recovery do not focus on organ damage, but improved participation and the reduction of disability. For this reason, we have considered incorporating narrative based medicine (NBM) and Psycho-Neuro-Immuno-Endocrinology (PNEI) in the rehabilitation process through an empathetic approach, taking evidence based medicine (EBM) into account, thus creating a “framework” of reference. Managing patients through this “framework” would be a move towards an integrated model of care that could lead to a reduction in health care costs, given the aging population and the rise in patients with chronic pain. The decision to modify health care in rehabilitative assistance through a new “framework” will require time, organizational capacity and experimentation, but may represent the appropriate response for an improved quality of life for patients and a better allocation of resources.

Rehabilitation, Integrated Therapeutic Model, Health Care Costs

Collebrusco, L. (2015) An Integrated Rehabilitation Model: An Ideal Framework for Limiting Health Care Costs. Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 3, 9-13. doi: 10.4236/ojtr.2015.31002.