Atta Abbas Naqvi, Syed Baqir Shyum Naqvi, Sadaf Shahid, Nida Yazdani.
Barriers to rehabilitation treatment among poliomyelitis infected patients in Karachi, Pakistan: a mix-methods study.
Khyber Med Uni Med J Jan ;8(1):12-21.

OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed at identifying the potential barriers to polio rehabilitation treatment in patients of Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: A mix-methods study was conducted in the city of Karachi, Pakistan for 6 months which gathered data from polio survivors as well as physical therapists who were involved in rehabilitation treatment of polio patients. The study had a quantitative part supplemented by a questionnaire and a qualitative part in which in-depth interviews were conducted. It was approved by the Ethical Committee of Research Review Board, Clifton Hospital and Board of Advance Study and Research (BASR) of Hamdard University, Madinatul Hikmah, Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: A total of 102 physical therapists (PT) and 120 polio survivors consented to participate. The mean age of the PT was 36.1+6.4 years. Majority (77.5%) of PT was male and with work experience of over 10 years (44.1%). The mean age of the polio survivors was 30.6+8.4 years. Majority had low monthly family income i.e. PKR 15000 (US$ 147.38). Major barrier perceived by physical therapists was financial constraint (41.2%). Patients of Pashtun ethnicity (34.3%) were also perceived as a major barrier itself. Major and minor barriers perceived by polio survivors were financial constraint (95%) and treatment attendance (68.3%) respectively. CONCLUSION: Pakistan’s polio rehabilitation program is hindered by financial issues for most part coupled with low family income and directs treatment costs borne by patients. Directs treatment costs were found to be the biggest barrier to rehabilitation treatment.

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