Global health and rehabilitation education in Canada: a qualitative analysis of experiences and perspectives of educators.

BACKGROUND

Rehabilitation practice is increasingly tied to global trends. First, healthcare services are increasingly tailored to be patient-centered, requiring knowledge of sociocultural contexts and experiences of a diverse patient population. Second, non-communicable diseases and morbidity stemming from infectious diseases are creating greater needs for rehabilitation services in countries facing this double burden of disease. Third, globalization continues to shape the risk factors for disease and disability and influences the type of services accessible and the financing and management of such services. Given this context, there is a critical need to examine how global health (GH) is approached in rehabilitation curricula. How students learn about these various dynamics will impact their ability to practice in this environment and best meet the needs of the patients and populations they are caring for.

OBJECTIVES

This study explores how university-level Canadian occupational and physical therapy educators understand GH within their academic and clinical practices.

METHODS

The project followed a qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants (

FINDINGS

There was an overall coherence between the literature and the participant's views of the constituent elements of GH. Participants viewed GH as a framework to broaden the clinical training of students by encouraging a critical "clinical toolbox"

INTERPRETATION

Despite the growing interest and relevance of GH, there is a noteworthy absence of GH education guidelines. There is a need to uncover the scope and underpinnings of GH and to outline rehabilitation-oriented GH competencies as per the positive value of GH attributed by the educators to the training of our healthcare workforce.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONGlobal health is seen by a sample of educators to provide rehabilitation students with a critical and holistic "clinical toolkit" by introducing themes of structural competency, cultural sensitivity and awareness, and global stewardship, enabling them to become