Allocation of rehabilitation measures provided by the Social Insurance Institution in Finland: a register linkage study.

OBJECTIVE To study the allocation of rehabilitation measures provided by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution in relation to the characteristics and health status of rehabilitants. DESIGN A register linkage study. SUBJECTS A total of 67,106 full-time local government employees with a minimum of 10-month job contracts in 10 Finnish towns during the period 1994-2002. METHODS Data on the rehabilitation granted between 1994 and 2002, special medication reimbursements for chronic diseases, and disability retirement, were derived from the registers of the Social Insurance Institution as an indicator of chronic morbidity and linked to the employers' records on demographic characteristics and rates of sickness absence. RESULTS In comparison with non-rehabilitants, the rate of sickness absence (> 21 days) was 2.2-2.9-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-3.0) higher, the odds ratios of special medication reimbursement 1.5-6.1-fold (95% CI 1.3-6.9) higher and disability retirement 3.1-7.5-fold (95% CI 2.7-9.3) higher among rehabilitants. Older women and employees in manual or lower-grade non-manual jobs predominated in the rehabilitation groups. The proportion of temporary employees receiving rehabilitation was low. CONCLUSION Permanently employed older women with an excess burden of health problems predominate in the receipt of rehabilitation provided by the Social Insurance Institution.