The road to self-regulation

Medical rehabilitation treatment helps preventing, reducing and eliminating limitations caused by a chronic health condition. The ultimate aim of rehabilitation is to improve a person’s self-regulation, societal participation, and quality of life. This thesis was conducted in the context of a larger study: ‘Measurement of rehabilitation outcomes in the Netherlands’ (MUREVAN) and is mainly focused at the measurement of self-regulation.
This thesis describes the development and initial analyses of the Self-Regulation Assessment (SeRA): a measure for self-regulation in the context of rehabilitation medicine. A qualitative exploration of the concept of self-regulation using focus group discussions with former rehabilitation patients and a Delphi study among rehabilitation physicians provided insights into the relevant aspects of self-regulation in a rehabilitation context. A systematic literature search showed no measure used in a rehabilitation context which covers all relevant aspects of self-regulation. The SeRA measure was developed based on these aspects. Interviews with former rehabilitation patients from native Dutch and non-Western backgrounds (Dutch speaking) confirmed relevance, comprehensibility and comprehensiveness of the SeRA. The SeRA was provided to former rehabilitation patients and more than 550 persons completed the SeRA. Statistical analysis showed the SeRA consists of four sub-scales: ‘insight into own health condition’, ‘insight into own capabilities’, ‘apply self-regulation’ and ‘organization of help’. Usage of the SeRA during rehabilitation could help identify patients at risk for low levels of self-regulation and identify best practices for rehabilitation care. Further, it can contribute to the registration of rehabilitation outcomes.