Capacity-building in clinical skills of rehabilitation workforce in low- and middle-income countries

Authors

  • Fary Khan
  • Bhasker Amatya
  • Wouter de Groote
  • Mayowa Owolabi
  • Ilyas M. Syed
  • Abderrazak Hajjoui
  • Muhammad N. Babur
  • Tahir M. Sayed
  • Yvonne Frizzell
  • Amaramalar S. Naicker
  • Maryam Fourtassi
  • Alaeldin Elmalik
  • Mary P. Galea

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2313

Keywords:

disability, rehabilitation, skills, low- and middle-income countries.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Despite the prevalence of disability in low-and middle-income countries, the clinical skills of the rehabilitation workforce are not well described. We report health professionals' perspectives on clinical skills in austere settings and identify context-specific gaps in workforce capacity. METHODS: A cross-sectional pilot survey (Pakistan, Morocco, Nigeria, Malaysia) of health professionals' working in rehabilitation in hospital and community settings. A situational-analysis survey captured assessment of clinical skills required in various rehabilitation settings. Responses were coded in a line-by-line process, and linked to categories in domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). RESULTS: Respondents (n = 532) from Pakistan 248, Nigeria 159, Morocco 93 and Malaysia 32 included the following: physiotherapists (52.8%), nurses (8.8%), speech (5.3%) and occupational therapists (8.5%), rehabilitation physicians (3.8%), other doctors (5.5%) and prosthetist/orthotists (1.5%). The 10 commonly used clinical skills reported were prescription of: physical activity, medications, transfer-techniques, daily-living activities, patient/carer education, diagnosis/screening, behaviour/cognitive interventions, comprehensive patient-care, referrals, assessments and collaboration. There was significant overlap in skills listed irrespective of profession. Most responses linked with ICF categories in activities/participation and personal factors. CONCLUSION: The core skills identified reflect general rehabilitation practice and a task-shifting approach, to address shortages of health workers in low-and middle-income countries.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2018-02-19

How to Cite

Khan, F., Amatya, B., de Groote, W., Owolabi, M., Syed, I. M., Hajjoui, A., Babur, M. N., Sayed, T. M., Frizzell, Y., Naicker, A. S., Fourtassi, M., Elmalik, A., & Galea, M. . P. (2018). Capacity-building in clinical skills of rehabilitation workforce in low- and middle-income countries. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 50(5), 472–479. https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2313

Issue

Section

Original Report