Activities during the last year

1. Evaluation of political proposals for hospital reform, both within the BDH and within the DGNR Presidium; preparation of BDH statements on various issues (specialist clinics, flat rates, service group definition) as well as a publication for the DGNR on the survey-based follow-up assessment of the service group definition for early neurological-neurosurgical rehabilitation.

2. Preparation and implementation (scientific programme) of the BDH symposium ‘Continuum of care’ in conjunction with the BDH parliamentary evening on 23 April 2024 in Berlin. Subsequent publication of the special issue of the same name in the journal Neurology & Rehabilitation (the organ of the DGNR, OeGNR and SGNR) published by Hippokampus-Verlag.

3. Administration of submissions for the Otto Löwenstein Research Award of the BDH 2024, establishment of the international jury, organisation and implementation of the jury work and participation in the award ceremony at the BDH Federal Delegates' Conference

4. Joint project ‘E-BRAiN: Evidence-based robotic assistance in neurorehabilitation’ (www.ebrain-science.de): continuation in 2024 and completion of the clinical trial in Greifswald UMG & BDH clinic by 31 December, financed by funds from the faculty (UMG).

5. Preparation of projects and submission of applications for the funding of new follow-up collaborative research projects E-BRAiN (humanoid robot for neurorehabilitation) as part of the Excellence Programme of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as a therapy study-related and an AI-related call for proposals from the BMBF (without funding approval).

6. Innovation fund of the GBA - ‘Optimisation of post-clinical intensive care for neurological patients (OptiNIV)’, start of the project 01.08.2021, duration until 31.07.2025: The project aims to improve the long-term treatment outcome of neurological patients in outpatient intensive care (AIP) by successfully weaning them off mechanical ventilation and/or tracheal cannula (TC). To this end, diagnostic and treatment pathways are to be developed, implemented and evaluated at the interface between inpatient neurorehabilitative and outpatient intensive care. The project is being carried out by neurological early rehabilitation facilities in Bavaria under the direction of Professor Dr Bender (LMU, University of Augsburg and Burgau Therapy Centre) in cooperation with the AOK Bavaria. The evaluation of the treatment and its results (clinical and health economic) is carried out under my leadership as the Neurorehabilitation Working Group of the University Medicine Greifswald (Head of the Working Group: Platz) together with Prof Dr Kohlmann, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald and Prof Dr Fleßa, Chair of General Business Administration and Health Management, University of Greifswald. 

7. Guideline project Therapy of spastic syndrome - DGN/DGNR S2k (coordination Platz [DGN]/ Liepert [DGNR]; the guidelines will be completely updated; contact with the organisations to be involved in 12.2023; literature search and evaluation for the update as well as preparation of the draft text by the coordinator Platz, guideline text editing in the editorial committee and consensus process (online survey and via video conference) in the course of 2024; the guideline is to be published in QI 2025.

8. Guideline project arm rehabilitation after stroke - DGNR S3 (coordination Platz); systematic literature search and start of screening for relevant new publications in 2024 with the involvement of a medical doctoral student. The main work of evidence synthesis is planned for 2025, if possible also the revision of the guideline text and the interdisciplinary consensus process.

9. Guideline project Weaning in neurological-neurosurgical rehabilitation - DGNR S2k (coordination Schmidt-Wilcke); participation in the guideline revision as author in 2024; the guideline is to be published in QI 2025.

10. Guideline project on the care of people requiring out-of-hospital intensive care for neurological diseases - DGNR S2k (coordination Groß); participation in the conceptual preparation of the guideline in 2024, which is to be launched as a project in 2025.

11. Supervising the certification of centres for weaning in neurological and neurosurgical early rehabilitation. Early rehabilitation centres as a member of the DGNR Certification Committee (regular review of certification standards and audit reports; statistical analyses of results).

12. After completion of the observational study ‘Clinical effects of intensified outpatient arm rehabilitation after stroke’ in two specialised occupational therapy practices in Bavaria, preparation for publication in 2024

13. Review of systematic reviews ‘Therapy with a humanoid robot’ (Master's student project; start in 2023, completion of the Master's thesis in 2024).

14. Organisation, start and monitoring of the updating of the international evidence-based practice recommendations for stroke rehabilitation of the World Federation Neurorehabilitation, WFNR as project leader with 14 working groups; start in 2024, completion by the end of 2025 targeted.

15. Establishment and leadership (as co-chair) of a new international scientific working group ‘Lancet Commission on Neurorehabilitation’ (in collaboration with the WFNR, the World Stroke Organisation and the WHO) with the aim of analysing the situation and evidence and developing and establishing pragmatic solutions for neurorehabilitation worldwide.