A commentary on methodological issues in research on rehabilitation needs after moderate-to-severe traumatic injury: lessons learned from quantitative and qualitative studies in Norway

A ccess to rehabilitation is fundamental to ensuring continued participation and quality of life for individuals with functional limitations.The overarching goal of any rehabilitation intervention is to promote independence, well-being, and participation in accordance with a person's life situation and goals.Conversely, unmet rehabilitation needs can limit activities, restrict participation, deteriorate health, reduce autonomy, and diminish both quality of life and life satisfaction (1).Although broad categories of unmet psychological, cognitive, and vocational rehabilitation needs have been identified after specific injuries (2), the rehabilitation needs of people with moderate-to-severe traumatic injuries remain insufficiently understood (3).Few studies have examined how rehabilitation service users articulate their needs or perceive the services they receive.Moreover, different stakeholders, patients, family members, rehabilitation professionals, and decisionmakers may define and evaluate rehabilitation needs in different ways.Exploring and comparing these perspectives is essential for developing a comprehensive understanding and for ensuring that services align with users' priorities.Ultimately, such insights may promote shared decision-making and person-centred care.Methodologically, research on rehabilitation needs after trauma faces several challenges.These include the selection of study populations and follow-up periods, the choice and validity of outcome measures, operational definition of rehabilitation needs, and the integration of quantitative and qualitative data.The aim of this paper is to offer foundational guidance for researching rehabilitation needs after trauma.Drawing on our experiences with both quantitative and qualitative studies, we highlight key methodological challenges and describe strategies to address them.