Preview
Rehabilitation is defined as “a set of interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals suffering from health problems in interaction with their environment.”
Simply put, rehabilitation helps a child, adult or elderly person to be as independent as possible in their daily activities and allows them to participate in education, work, leisure and meaningful roles in life, like taking care of your family. It does this by working with the person and their family to address underlying health conditions and their symptoms, modifying their environment to better meet their needs, using assistive products, educating to strengthen self-management, and adapting tasks so that they can be completed further. safely and independently. Together, these strategies can help an individual; overcome difficulties with thinking, seeing, hearing, communicating, eating or moving.
Anyone may need rehabilitation at some point in their life, following an injury, surgery, illness or condition, or because their functioning has declined with age. ‘age.
Here are some examples of rehabilitation:
- speech and language training to improve a person’s communication after a brain injury;
- physical training to improve muscle strength, voluntary movements and balance in people with stroke or Parkinson’s disease;
- modify the family environment of an elderly person to improve their safety and independence at home and reduce their risk of falls;
- educate a person with heart disease on how to exercise safely;
- prepare an amputee to be able to use a prosthesis and make, adjust and replace the prosthesis;
- positioning and splint techniques to aid skin healing, reduce swelling, and regain movement after burn surgery;
- prescribe medication to reduce spasticity in a child with cerebral palsy;
- psychological therapies for a person suffering from emotional distress following a spinal cord injury;
- Social skills training for people with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability disorders.
- train a person with vision loss to use a white cane; And
- working with a patient in intensive care to improve their breathing, prevent complications, and speed their recovery after a serious illness
Rehabilitation is strongly person-centered, meaning that the interventions selected for each individual are targeted to their goals and preferences. Rehabilitation can be provided in many different locations, such as inpatient or outpatient settings, outpatient physical or occupational therapy offices, and community settings such as an individual’s home, school, or workplace.
The rehabilitation staff is made up of different health workers, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and audiologists, orthotists and prosthetists, clinical psychologists, physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, and rehabilitation nurses. Many other health workers, such as general practitioners, surgeons and community health workers, can also play an important role in a person’s rehabilitation.
The benefits of rehabilitation
Rehabilitation can reduce the impact of a wide range of health problems, including illnesses (acute or chronic), conditions or injuries. It complements other health interventions, such as medical and surgical procedures, helping to facilitate recovery and achieve the best possible results. Additionally, rehabilitation can help prevent, reduce or manage complications associated with many health conditions, for example in the context of spinal cord injury, stroke or fractures.
Rehabilitation helps minimize or slow the disabling effects of chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, by equipping people with self-management strategies and assistive products they need, or by treating pain or other complications. As such, it contributes to healthy aging.
Rehabilitation is an investment that has financial benefits for both individuals and society. This can help avoid costly hospitalizations, reduce length of hospital stay, and prevent readmissions. Because rehabilitation also allows individuals to engage in or return to work and employment, or remain independent at home, it minimizes the need for financial support or caregiver support.
Rehabilitation is an important part of universal health coverage and is a key strategy to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 – “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.
Misconceptions about rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is not just for people with disabilities or long-term or physical disabilities. Rather, rehabilitation is an essential health service for anyone suffering from an acute or chronic health problem, impairment, or injury that limits functioning and, as such, should be available to anyone who has need.
Rehabilitation is not a luxury health service available only to those who can afford it. Nor is it an optional service to be tried only when other interventions to prevent or cure a health problem fail.
For the full social, economic, and health benefits of rehabilitation to be fully realized, timely, high-quality, and affordable rehabilitation interventions must be accessible to all. In many cases, this means starting rehabilitation as soon as a health problem is noted and continuing to provide rehabilitation alongside other health interventions.
Global unmet need for rehabilitation
Globally, approximately 2.4 billion people are currently living with a health condition who could benefit from rehabilitation. With changes occurring in the health and characteristics of the world’s population, this estimated need for rehabilitation will only increase in the years to come. People are living longer, with the number of people over 60 expected to double by 2050, and more people are living with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, stroke and cancer. At the same time, the continued incidence of injuries and child developmental disorders (such as cerebral palsy) persists. These health conditions can impact an individual’s functioning and are linked to increased levels of disability, for which rehabilitation may be beneficial.
In many parts of the world, this growing need for rehabilitation remains largely unmet. More than half of people living in some low- and middle-income countries who need rehabilitation services do not receive them.
Global rehabilitation needs remain unmet due to multiple factors, including:
- lack of national priorities, funding, policies and rehabilitation plans;
- lack of rehabilitation services available outside urban areas and long waiting times;
- high personal expenses and non-existent or inadequate means of financing;
- the lack of trained rehabilitation professionals, with fewer than 10 qualified practitioners per 1 million people in many low- and middle-income settings;
- lack of resources, including assistive technologies, equipment and consumables;
- the need for more research and data on rehabilitation; And
- ineffective and underutilized rehabilitation referral pathways.
Emergency rehabilitation
Natural hazards such as earthquakes or epidemics and man-made hazards including conflict, terrorism or industrial accidents can generate considerable rehabilitation needs following injury or illness. At the same time, they disrupt existing services and have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable populations and weakest health systems.
Although the important role of rehabilitation in emergencies is recognized in clinical and humanitarian guidelines, it is rarely considered as part of health system preparedness and early response. The result is that pre-existing limitations in rehabilitation services are amplified, health service delivery is less effective, and those directly affected are at increased risk of impairment and disability.
WHO response
A health system strengthening approach is necessary for rehabilitation to reach its full potential. This involves integrating rehabilitation into care at all levels of the health system and ensuring that it is integrated into universal health coverage.
In 2017, WHO launched Rehabilitation 2030, to highlight the need to strengthen health systems and call on all stakeholders around the world to work together to: improve leadership and governance; develop a strong multidisciplinary rehabilitation workforce; increase funding for rehabilitation; and improve data collection and research on rehabilitation.
Additionally, WHO launched the Global Alliance for Rehabilitation (WRA) to support the implementation of Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative through advocacy activities. The WRA focuses on promoting rehabilitation as an essential health service that is an integral part of universal health coverage.
WHO promotes health systems strengthening for rehabilitation through:
- provide technical support and build country capacity
- increase leadership, policy prioritization and resource mobilization
- develop norms, standards and technical advice
- shape the research agenda and monitor progress.
