Abstract:
Objectives: Neurorehabilitation services are not widely available to most persons with disability (PWD) in the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation countries. This study aimed to document status of neurorehabilitation services in OIC countries.
Study Design and Setting: Cross-sectional online survey.
Methods: Self-administered online survey conducted using Google Forms. Key resource persons for each OIC country
working in field of neurorehabilitation were identified from various databases. The questionnaire was emailed to 20 identified
resource persons. The response rate was 60% (12/20).
Results: Neurorehabilitation services were available in 9 out of 12 surveyed countries. Only 2 countries reported providing
access to neurorehabilitation services to 76-100% of their population. Five countries reported less than 25% of population
had access to these services. Most commonly available neurorehabilitation services included services for stroke, spinal
cord injury, pediatric neurorehabilitation, brain injury, and neuromuscular rehabilitation. Three countries had none of these
specialized services. Five countries had neurorehabilitation training programs for physicians and other rehabilitation
professionals. Patients had to pay out of pocket for these services in most of surveyed countries, followed by public funding
and private insurance. Tele-neurorehabilitation and local disease-specific neurorehabilitation guidelines were not available
in most of surveyed countries.
Conclusion: Neurorehabilitation services in OIC region are not widely available, with significant variability in availability
and quality. There is a need to develop and improve these services. Sharing knowledge and expertise through various forms,
such as exchange visits and online sessions, can help improve neurorehabilitation services in these countrie
