Suchergebnisse

OBJECTIVE: To present the development process of the World Health Organization (WHO) Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS). DESIGN: A conceptualization phase to establish its objective and identify the content for comprehensively describing rehabilitation in countries, a second phase to draft, and a third phase to refine the tool. Reviews of existing health system assessment (HSA) tools used in other areas of health as well as expert consultations occurred. SETTING: The WHO initiated the development of STARS because there is currently no comprehensive HSA tool for rehabilitation that supports stakeholders describing their country situation and identifying priority actions. PARTICIPANTS: The WHO rehabilitation team, experts representing rehabilitation professions and from all WHO regions, and government and rehabilitation consumer groups. INTERVENTIONS: Conceptualizing, drafting, consulting, and reviewing of the WHO STARS. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Development of a tool that is comprehensive and able to support countries to describe rehabilitation and identify priorities. RESULTS: STARS was developed in a participatory process, uses a logic model to structure the 50 components of rehabilitation selected for assessment, and assesses both capacity and performance. CONCLUSIONS: STARS is the first HSA shaped to rehabilitation, has been developed by the WHO in a participatory process based on several expert consultations, and has the potential to meaningfully support governments to better understand the status of rehabilitation in their countries, define priorities for action to strengthen rehabilitation, and facilitate the monitoring of system level changes. Moreover, STARS information can be used in research to support evidence-informed policy and programs.

The WHO Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS) tool was developed by WHO to facilitate effective prioritization and strategic planning for rehabilitation in countries. The objective of this paper is to present the results of the fourth phase of its development, its field testing in seven countries focusing on its completeness, usefulness, accessibility and feasibility. Field testing occurred in Jordan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Laos, Haiti, and Guyana. Evaluation occurred through structured interviews and rating exercises with 17 government representatives, international consultants, WHO country or regional office staff and rehabilitation experts who were actively engaged and familiar with the STARS assessment and who were knowledgeable of the rehabilitation situation in the countries. STARS was appraised as relevant, complete and accurate in describing the country situation. Areas of inaccuracy were mostly linked to challenges in describing areas of services similarly when significant diversity existed. Feasibility and accessibility were mostly confirmed and more complex components of the tool as well as the guidance to the assessment process were slightly revised in light of the field-testing results. The field testing of WHO STARS confirmed its completeness, usefulness, accessibility and feasibility, and concerns raised by the interviews informed the last refinement of the tool. STARS is part of the WHO Rehabilitation in Health Systems-Guide for Action, available online, by September 2021, STARS had guided 21 country situation assessments.

The objectives of this study are two-fold. First, it presents the basics of assessing working age populations for disability benefits. Increasingly, the operational staffs of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as of other development organizations, are being requested by governmental policy agencies for technical advice and assistance on how to reform their disability assessment system. Secondly, while acknowledging limitations, both in conception and implementation; it makes a case for why adopting the international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF) approach to disability assessment may be smart policy that corresponds well with the aims of modern disability policy that focuses on social and economic inclusion for individuals with disabilities, in the context of a recognition of their fundamental human rights. The study is a follow up work to the world report on disability that WHO and WB published jointly in June 2011. The world report made it clear that the process of disability assessment is an important lever of disability policy in any country, yet little is known about how disability assessment is conducted. This study responds to that knowledge gap, but it also describes a paradigm shift in the assessment of disability, one that moves from prevailing impairment and functional limitation approaches to a disability-based approach.

To systematically and comprehensively describe functioning and disability in Multiple sclerosis (MS), practical tools based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), such as ICF Core Sets, are needed. Objective: to report on the results of an evidence-based International Consensus Conference to develop the Comprehensive and Brief ICF Core Set for MS. A formal and iterative decision-making and consensus process was undertaken, involving the integration of evidence from preparatory studies (expert survey, systematic literature review, qualitative study, empirical cross-sectional study) and expert opinion. The decision-making and consensus process included discussions and voting in working groups and plenary sessions involving selected international experts from different health professions. Twenty-one experts from 16 countries selected 138 ICF categories for the Comprehensive ICF Core for MS (40 Body functions, 7 Body structures, 53 Activities and Participation categories and 38 Environmental factors) and 19 categories for the Brief ICF Core Set for MS (8 Body functions, 2 Body structures, 5 Activities and Participation categories, 4 Environmental factors). An evidence-based and formal decision-making consensus process led to the approval of ICF Core Sets for MS which should be further validated.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive data is key for evidence-informed policy aiming to improve the lives of persons experiencing different levels of disability. The objective of this paper was to identify the environmental barriers — including physical, social, attitudinal, and political barriers — that might become priorities for cross-cutting policies and policies tailored to the needs of persons experiencing severe disability in Cameroon. METHODS: A secondary analysis of data obtained with the WHO Model Disability Survey was completed in the Bankim Health District (N = 559) using random forest regression to determine and compare the impact of the environmental factors on the experience of disability. RESULTS: The physical environment had by far the highest influence on disability, with transportation, toilet of the dwelling, and the dwelling itself being the most important factors. Factors inside one's own home (toilet of the dwelling, and the dwelling itself) were the most important for persons with moderate and severe disability, followed by attitudes of others and issues with accessing health care. CONCLUSION: Our study provides country policy makers with evidence for setting priorities and for the development of evidence-informed policies for the Bankim Health District in Cameroon.

This collection pays tribute to Jerome E. Bickenbach's work that spans from philosophical and sociological issues to international legislation designed to support the rights of people with disabilities. Eight essays critically engage with Bickenbach's work to further advance the discussions he has initiated throughout his career.