Identifying Rehabilitation Workforce Strengths, Concerns and Needs:  A Case Study from the Pacific Islands

Alexandra Lewis Gargett; Gwynnyth Llewellyn; Stephanie Short; Pauline Kleinitz

doi:10.5463/dcid.v27i2.520

Alexandra Lewis Gargett ⁽¹⁾, Gwynnyth Llewellyn ⁽²⁾, Stephanie Short ⁽³⁾, Pauline Kleinitz ⁽⁴⁾

(1) WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney, Australia,

(2) WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long-term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney, Australia,

(3) WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long-term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney, Australia,

(4) Disabilities and Rehabilitation, World Health Organisation, Western Pacific Region, Manila, Philippines

https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v27i2.520

Issue
Vol. 27 No. 2 (2016): Summer 2016

Submitted
September 14, 2020

Published
September 7, 2016

Keywords:

Community-based rehabilitation, health workforce development, disability, international development

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Abstract

Purpose: This exploratory case study was undertaken to inform capacity development of the rehabilitation workforce in member nations of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Method: Participants at the 1st Pacific CBR Forum in June 2012 were key informants for this study. They comprised the disability focal points from government departments in each of the 14 countries, representatives of DPOs and disability service providers. The study was conducted in 3 phases: a template to gather data on rehabilitation workers; key informant interviews; and, stakeholder workshops to identify strengths and needs of the rehabilitation workforce in the Pacific.

Results: The detailed case study findings suggest two critical drivers for rehabilitation health workforce development in the Pacific context. The first is leadership and commitment from government to serve rehabilitation needs in the community. The second is the urgent need to find alternative ways to service the demand for rehabilitation services as it is highly unlikely that the supply of specialist personnel will be adequate.

Conclusions: A multi-sectoral view of health and social service systems is a key element for the development of a rehabilitation health workforce. The endorsement of the WHO Global Disability Action Plan by the World Health Assembly in 2014 further enhances the opportunity to work collaboratively across sectors in Pacific countries. Specialist personnel are and will remain in short supply. There is opportunity for the region to lead the development of alternate workforce mechanisms through the training and supply of skilled community-based rehabilitation personnel.

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Authors

Alexandra Lewis Gargett

WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney

alexandra.lewis-gargett@sydney.edu.au (Primary Contact)

Gwynnyth Llewellyn

WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long-term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney

Stephanie Short

WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long-term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney

Pauline Kleinitz

Disabilities and Rehabilitation, World Health Organisation, Western Pacific Region, Manila

Author Biographies

Alexandra Lewis Gargett, WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney

Alexandra is a Research Associate with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development for Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, physiotherapist and PhD candidate with the Centre for Disability Research and Policy, the University of Sydney. Her research interest is rehabilitation in low resource settings. Her PhD thesis is exploring the place of traditional health practices in the care of young children with disabilities in the Solomon Islands.

Gwynnyth Llewellyn, WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long-term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney

Gwynnyth is Professor of Family and Disability Studies, Director of the Centre for Disability Research and Policy and Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre in Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care at the University of Sydney. Her commitment is to develop health and social policy and practice solutions to enable disabled individuals and their families to fully participate in societies. Professor Llewellyn is an occupational therapist and international leading authority on family and disability. She is an Expert Member of the e WHO Guideline Development Group for the development of the WHO Health-related Rehabilitation Guidelines, 2012-2014.

Stephanie Short, WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long-term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney

Stephanie is Head of the Discipline of Behavioural & Social Sciences in Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney. Her research interests concern health governance and public policy, both locally and internationally. Professor Short is Convenor of HealthGov, an international research network that brings together researchers, health professionals and regulators to provide ideas and evidence to underpin effective education, safer practice and improved access to health care.

Pauline Kleinitz, Disabilities and Rehabilitation, World Health Organisation, Western Pacific Region, Manila

Pauline is an international specialist in disability, rehabilitation and disability inclusive development holding a Bachelors degree of Applied Science in Physiotherapy and Master's Degree in Social Science, International Development. She worked for the World Health Organization from 2011 to 2016 as the Disability and Rehabilitation Regional Advisor for the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office. Prior to joining WHO she worked for a partnership between Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne and CBM Australia where she undertook lecturing, research, program management and technical advisory roles. Pauline has worked in the disability sector in high and low income countries for over twenty years, including in early-childhood intervention, special and inclusive education settings, community-based rehabilitation and rehabilitation services in paediatric and adult hospitals.

1.

Gargett AL, Llewellyn G, Short S, Kleinitz P. Identifying Rehabilitation Workforce Strengths, Concerns and Needs: A Case Study from the Pacific Islands. DCIDJ [Internet]. 2016 Sep. 7 [cited 2025 Feb. 23];27(2):19-36. Available from: https://dcidj.uog.edu.et/index.php/up-j-dcbrid/article/view/221

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