Awareness of Community-Based Rehabilitation with a Focus on Public Health Centers

抄録

[Purpose] We evaluated awareness of the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) with a focus on public health centers (PHCs) to provide basic data for the future direction of services. [Subjects and Methods] Research was carried out from March to July 2010 at 5 hospitals and 4 welfare agencies in Seoul that were selected using a random number table. Data were collected in face- to- face interviews of 184 disabled people. [Results] Awareness of CBR was low, with 78% of subjects unaware of its existence. Demand was the highest for rehabilitation therapy (4.40 point). The percentage of persons who had never visited PHCs was high (50.9%). The frequency of visits to PHCs for rehabilitation therapy was the lowest (3.9%) among all the community facilities. Logistic regression analysis showed demands for visiting examinations, guidance on rehabilitation facilities and house remodeling were statistically significant as well as convenience, age, education, frequency of visits to PHCs and awareness. [Conclusion] The findings suggest low awareness of CBR in PHCs despite a marked demand for rehabilitation therapy. More active promotion should be undertaken to increase the awareness of potential users. Also, further research into the reasons for low awareness and suitable promotion methods should be undertaken in order to provide the best and most accessible services.