Evaluation of a general practitioner-based rehabilitation follow-up consultation to promote patients’ use of medical rehabilitation aftercare: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized crossover trial

The aim of the study is to investigate whether a structured follow-up consultation with the general practitioner (GP) contributes to an increased use of rehabilitation aftercare by patients after inpatient medical rehabilitation. The focus of the follow-up consultation four to eight weeks after rehabilitation is on supporting patients in implementing aftercare recommendations of their rehabilitation clinic and discussing barriers that prevent them from making use of aftercare services. The study will also investigate whether the intervention can encourage GPs to engage more intensively with medical rehabilitation and thus promote its long-term effectiveness.

The study will be conducted as a two-period cluster randomized crossover trial using a mixed-methods approach. Participants in the intervention group and the control group will receive the usual recommendations for rehabilitation aftercare during their rehabilitation. Participants in the intervention group will also receive an invitation to a follow-up consultation with their GP. The primary outcome is the self-reported utilization of rehabilitation aftercare four months post-rehabilitation. Self-reported work ability four months post-rehabilitation is assessed as a secondary outcome. For the follow-up consultation, GPs will be provided with a written consultation guide, which will be developed through interviews with GPs. A written patient communication aid will be developed for patients. During the development process, patients will be interviewed to evaluate its comprehensibility and usability. Patient questionnaire data will be collected at three measurement points (T1: end of rehabilitation; T2: after follow-up consultation (intervention group only; four to eight weeks post-rehabilitation); T3: four months post-rehabilitation). Questionnaire data from GPs will be collected via online questionnaires after each follow-up consultation and once toward the end of the data collection period.

The study aims to investigate the extent to which a brief and low-threshold GP-centered intervention can contribute to an increased utilization of rehabilitation aftercare and thereby improve the sustainability of the effects of medical rehabilitation.

Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (German Clinical Trials Register); date: November 5, 2025; ID: DRKS00038353.