The Bern Rehab Registry

This study examines the health outcomes of patients with long-term illnesses such as cancer, heart, lung, or musculoskeletal diseases who participate in a rehabilitation programme. The programme may involve staying in a facility (inpatient), visiting a facility (outpatient), home-based care supported by digital health tools (telerehabilitation), or a combination of facility- and home-based options.

The key health outcomes being measured include physical fitness and strength, body composition (like body fat and muscle mass), specific risk factors related to the diseases, and patients' self-reported health and experience outcomes, such as feelings of anxiety, depression, fatigue, overall quality of life, and satisfaction with the rehabilitation programme.

These measurements provide important information about the patients' lung, heart, and muscle health, as well as their mental well-being. They also help to predict the likelihood of further health complications, the chance of needing to be hospitalized again, and overall quality of life. This information is useful for improving the quality of care, tailoring future provision of rehabilitation services and long-term care for patients with chronic conditions.

Additionally, the study will provide insights into how new technologies like telerehabilitation are implemented, including how well they are adopted, followed, and accepted by patients.