Last update:
02-Mar-2020

Persons with disabilities are a disparate group of the population with special healthcare needs. Rehabilitation services are intended to improve or reinstate the functionality of patients and enable them to achieve social reintegration. The provision of adequate healthcare and rehabilitation services improves their quality of life, increases their independence and is cost-effective for the health system and for society. A short presentation is made here of the rehabilitation sector in Greece, with a review of the legislative framework. This study aims to estimate the needs for rehabilitation services of the population of Rethymnon, in order to plan the establishment of an operational rehabilitation setting. Data were retrieved on inpatient care from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), and indicative times of hospitalization per dysfunction category were analyzed, based on which the needs were deduced for the population of Rethymnon as a whole. This was carried out because of the lack of official statistics for persons who need or who have received rehabilitation services. In this way, the needs for rehabilitation services can be estimated with reasonable accuracy, despite the lack of an official registry. The results showed that the present funding mechanism of the National Health Service, EOPYY, is far behind the current needs for rehabilitation. It is apparent that more detailed recording of disabled people and care indicators with respect to the type of disability is needed. These are the only rational and validated methods on which it is possible to design the appropriate policies, facilities and practices for persons with disabilities.

Key words: Operational planning, Persons with disabilities, Rehabilitation center, Rehabilitation services.