The project aims to assess the psycho-socio-economic costs of RTCs for severely injured people and identify factors that affect the rehabilitation process. Among the project’s objectives is to identify areas demonstrating the highest burden as well as design interventions to facilitate the progress of rehabilitation and reduce the long-term socio-economic burden. The project further seeks to identify factors that minimize the long-term burden in order to introduce alternative support systems with the greatest benefit for the injured people and the national budgets. Special emphasis is placed on informal care (e.g. self-care, community care) which has been identified as being beneficial for 70-80% of people with chronic conditions, and forms part of a wider agenda about public health, health promotion and patient involvement in different health systems across Europe (Department of Health, London, 2006; Hadjiev, V.D., Z.D. Toneva and S.D. Short, 2007). The project also seeks to introduce an integrated approach, where all factors are taken into account and all stakeholder groups are participating (patient organisations, hospitals, social service, traffic safety authorities and organisations).
For more information, please visit the REHABIL-AID website.