One world one burn rehabilitation standard.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Burn Care

Background:

• Burns represent a major global health issue, causing mortality and severe functional limitations for survivors.
• Effective burn rehabilitation is essential for restoring function and enabling productive living post-injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current burn rehabilitation practices globally.
• To identify needs and areas for improvement, especially in resource-limited environments (RLEs).
• To guide international collaboration for enhancing burn survivor rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• A needs assessment survey was conducted among members of the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) Rehabilitation Committee.
• The survey characterized worldwide burn rehabilitation implementation and identified areas requiring assistance.

Main Results:

• Resource-limited environments (RLEs) often lack essential financial, educational, and material resources for successful burn rehabilitation.
• Significant global discrepancies exist in education, training, and research capacity for burn care between RLEs and developed nations.
• Financial constraints, rather than knowledge or skill deficits, are frequently the primary barrier to adequate burn rehabilitation in some regions.

Conclusions:

• Burn rehabilitation globally is hampered by resource limitations, particularly in RLEs.
• International support is needed to bridge the resource and capacity gaps in burn rehabilitation worldwide.
• Addressing financial barriers is critical for improving burn survivor outcomes in underserved areas.