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Global Rehabilitation – Addressing the Need for Early, Safe, Continuous and Widespread Rehabilitation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Received: 31 August 2020    Accepted: 8 March 2021    Published: 30 March 2021
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Abstract

Background: Scaling-up surgical care is one of the most important goals in improving global health and long-term development, where specific attention is directed towards diagnosis and treatment of traumatic injuries, as well as to certain conditions, with varying frequencies between continents and countries. Successful outcome after surgery depends also on safe, efficient and widespread rehabilitation, including both short- and long-term engagement of physiotherapists and occupational therapists. However, relatively little attention has been paid to rehabilitation after trauma and surgery for injuries and various conditions in a global perspective. In fact, the access to rehabilitation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is believed to be enormous. Objective: Through a shared project between two University Hospitals in Zimbabwe and Sweden, our objective was to create an academic partnership with the goal of improving rehabilitation after hand injuries in Zimbabwe. Results: Except geographical, political and patient-related factors, we found that prolonged or inadequate immobilisation after hand injuries and poor teamwork between surgeons and therapists were important factors that complicated the patient care. We give examples on how educational programs in rehabilitation could be organized with focus on creating a close alliance between surgeons and therapists. Conclusion: Creating academic partnerships between universities and hospitals can be of mutual benefit and may be a model for spreading knowledge and strengthen health care systems. Collaboration between therapists and surgeons can be strengthened through integrated courses adapted to existing local circumstances, exchange programs and on-line education, which can be organized between specific departments in different countries. We launch the concept of Global Rehabilitation and give examples of how teaching posttraumatic and postoperative management of hand surgical injuries and common conditions could be structured.

Published in Clinical Medicine Research (Volume 10, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11
Page(s) 35-39
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Global Rehabilitation, Low and Middle Income Countries, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Surgery, Hand Surgery

References
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  • APA Style

    Elisabeth Brogren, Pernilla Vikstrom, Stefan Johansson, Nyaradzai Dangarembizi-Munambah, Theodora Chikwanha, et al. (2021). Global Rehabilitation – Addressing the Need for Early, Safe, Continuous and Widespread Rehabilitation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Clinical Medicine Research, 10(2), 35-39. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11

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    ACS Style

    Elisabeth Brogren; Pernilla Vikstrom; Stefan Johansson; Nyaradzai Dangarembizi-Munambah; Theodora Chikwanha, et al. Global Rehabilitation – Addressing the Need for Early, Safe, Continuous and Widespread Rehabilitation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Clin. Med. Res. 2021, 10(2), 35-39. doi: 10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11

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    AMA Style

    Elisabeth Brogren, Pernilla Vikstrom, Stefan Johansson, Nyaradzai Dangarembizi-Munambah, Theodora Chikwanha, et al. Global Rehabilitation – Addressing the Need for Early, Safe, Continuous and Widespread Rehabilitation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Clin Med Res. 2021;10(2):35-39. doi: 10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11,
      author = {Elisabeth Brogren and Pernilla Vikstrom and Stefan Johansson and Nyaradzai Dangarembizi-Munambah and Theodora Chikwanha and Faith Chengetayi Muchemwa and Pat McKee and Tingadini Nyoni and Midion Mapfumo Chidzonga and Lars Bertil Dahlin},
      title = {Global Rehabilitation – Addressing the Need for Early, Safe, Continuous and Widespread Rehabilitation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries},
      journal = {Clinical Medicine Research},
      volume = {10},
      number = {2},
      pages = {35-39},
      doi = {10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cmr.20211002.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cmr.20211002.11},
      abstract = {Background: Scaling-up surgical care is one of the most important goals in improving global health and long-term development, where specific attention is directed towards diagnosis and treatment of traumatic injuries, as well as to certain conditions, with varying frequencies between continents and countries. Successful outcome after surgery depends also on safe, efficient and widespread rehabilitation, including both short- and long-term engagement of physiotherapists and occupational therapists. However, relatively little attention has been paid to rehabilitation after trauma and surgery for injuries and various conditions in a global perspective. In fact, the access to rehabilitation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is believed to be enormous. Objective: Through a shared project between two University Hospitals in Zimbabwe and Sweden, our objective was to create an academic partnership with the goal of improving rehabilitation after hand injuries in Zimbabwe. Results: Except geographical, political and patient-related factors, we found that prolonged or inadequate immobilisation after hand injuries and poor teamwork between surgeons and therapists were important factors that complicated the patient care. We give examples on how educational programs in rehabilitation could be organized with focus on creating a close alliance between surgeons and therapists. Conclusion: Creating academic partnerships between universities and hospitals can be of mutual benefit and may be a model for spreading knowledge and strengthen health care systems. Collaboration between therapists and surgeons can be strengthened through integrated courses adapted to existing local circumstances, exchange programs and on-line education, which can be organized between specific departments in different countries. We launch the concept of Global Rehabilitation and give examples of how teaching posttraumatic and postoperative management of hand surgical injuries and common conditions could be structured.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AU  - Elisabeth Brogren
    AU  - Pernilla Vikstrom
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    AU  - Tingadini Nyoni
    AU  - Midion Mapfumo Chidzonga
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    JO  - Clinical Medicine Research
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    AB  - Background: Scaling-up surgical care is one of the most important goals in improving global health and long-term development, where specific attention is directed towards diagnosis and treatment of traumatic injuries, as well as to certain conditions, with varying frequencies between continents and countries. Successful outcome after surgery depends also on safe, efficient and widespread rehabilitation, including both short- and long-term engagement of physiotherapists and occupational therapists. However, relatively little attention has been paid to rehabilitation after trauma and surgery for injuries and various conditions in a global perspective. In fact, the access to rehabilitation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is believed to be enormous. Objective: Through a shared project between two University Hospitals in Zimbabwe and Sweden, our objective was to create an academic partnership with the goal of improving rehabilitation after hand injuries in Zimbabwe. Results: Except geographical, political and patient-related factors, we found that prolonged or inadequate immobilisation after hand injuries and poor teamwork between surgeons and therapists were important factors that complicated the patient care. We give examples on how educational programs in rehabilitation could be organized with focus on creating a close alliance between surgeons and therapists. Conclusion: Creating academic partnerships between universities and hospitals can be of mutual benefit and may be a model for spreading knowledge and strengthen health care systems. Collaboration between therapists and surgeons can be strengthened through integrated courses adapted to existing local circumstances, exchange programs and on-line education, which can be organized between specific departments in different countries. We launch the concept of Global Rehabilitation and give examples of how teaching posttraumatic and postoperative management of hand surgical injuries and common conditions could be structured.
    VL  - 10
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Author Information
  • Department of Translational Medicine - Hand Surgery, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden

  • Department of Translational Medicine - Hand Surgery, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden

  • Department of Translational Medicine - Hand Surgery, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden

  • College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

  • Department of Plastic Surgery, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Translational Medicine - Hand Surgery, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden

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