Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2025
A qualitative study on rehabilitation services at rural rehabilitation practice in Uttar Pradesh,India: Insights from rehabilitation professionals in low-resource contexts
Delivering rehabilitation services to meet the requirements of rural inhabitants necessitates more than simply augmenting the quantity of healthcare professionals.
Objective
This study delved into the perspectives of rehabilitation professionals regarding the provision of rehabilitation services in rural settings, the challenges encountered, perceived facilitators and barriers to implementation, and their recommendations for delivering effective rehabilitation care.
Methods
We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with a purposefully sampled multi-disciplinary rehabilitation team in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh in this qualitative study. We used interpretive description to examine transcripts inductively through broad-level coding, and consolidated the results into interpretive categories.
Results
The study involved thirty-two rehabilitation professionals and 27 interviews. We identified three themes: the state of rural rehabilitation, which fosters the social aspects of rehabilitation through either a multi-disciplinary or trans-disciplinary model due to limitations in coverage and capacity; challenges ranging from the lack of rehabilitation guidelines to manpower shortages, as well as policy and administrative issues and ethical dilemmas; and key procedures for effective rural practice, including establishing partnerships, organizing awareness programs for public representatives and physicians, and facilitating access to continuing professional development programs. Barriers and facilitators within themes were affected by the resources and support from local community leaders, as well as the availability or lack of good communication tools with patients, carers, and multidisciplinary team members.
Conclusion
To meet the rehabilitation requirements of rural environments, tailored approaches are required, including modifications to education, practice, and policy to address human resource limitations and increased investment in rehabilitation.
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