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Bridging the Gap: A Novel Approach to Pediatric Rehabilitation Training in Low Resource Settings
Shala Cunningham1, Martina Lukin, Hsu Wai Mon Oo
1Department of Physical Therapy, Radford University, Roanoke, Virginia (Dr Cunningham); Physiopedia, London, United Kingdom (Ms Lukin, Ms Mon Oo, and Ms Lowe); Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, Health Systems Program, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Bachani).
Purpose:
Approximately 250 million children younger than 5 years in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential, often without access to rehabilitation. A training program was developed to provide physical therapists in Myanmar with the knowledge and skills to deliver family-centered early rehabilitation.
Methods:
Participants completed online coursework, discussions, synchronous mentoring sessions, and onsite training for 7 weeks. To assess the effectiveness of the training, participants completed surveys on their self-perception of knowledge and skills related to early rehabilitation at 4 intervals. Focus group interviews were also conducted to allow the participants to discuss their experiences.
Results:
There were significant improvements in knowledge and discussed implementation of the new skills in practice with a focus on family education and innovative use of home materials.
Conclusion:
The training program effectively enhanced participants' confidence in their ability to implement family-centered interventions using available resources.
