Aim: Improvement of persistence of asbestosis rehabilitation with a stepwise rehabilitation program. Methods: 107 patients with asbestosis took part in an ambulant rehabilitation program in the neighbourhood of their homes, a program involving 3 steps applied during half a year. Results: As expected, the lung function results did not change. But indicators of physical fitness and psychic well-being showed an improvement after the first 3-week step which could be maintained during the following two steps, that is, during the whole half-year period. Conclusions: The first results indicate that the program may produce a persistent improvement in the health of persons with asbestosis. This seems to have no influence on the level of compensation (in the German system of compensation for occupational diseases).
