A Comparative Study of Rehabilitation Policies in Selected Countries: A Narrative Review

Objective According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 billion people (approximately 15% of world population) live with disability. Also, about half of these people lack access to healthcare facilities. Therefore, providing timely healthcare services, especially rehabilitation, is of great significance for these people. The goal of the study was to determine the objectives and policies in the field of rehabilitation in middle- and high-income countries and compare them with Iran. Materials & Methods Based on available databases, a comprehensive review of documents, papers, and books was performed in the field of rehabilitation related to high- and middle-income countries. Results Due to a lack of coordinated services, inappropriate access, unplanned distribution, unclear service delivery levels, neglect of health promotion and prevention levels, lack of a transparent referral system, unclear insurance system, and weak financial resources, the need for a national program with a service integration approach is strongly felt. The review of the rehabilitation programs and documents in other countries help us to design a conceptual framework of the rehabilitation service model, which is based on three principles: Removing barriers and developing access to healthcare services and programs; strengthening and developing rehabilitation using technology, community-based support, and rehabilitation services; and promoting comparable international data collection on disability and supporting research on disability and related rehabilitation services. Conclusion The national rehabilitation program, with a service integration approach, provides a good platform for fair access to rehabilitation services for all people with disability. In this program, the health system is the most important reference to meet these needs. Therefore, it is suggested that this program pursue three main objectives: Fair promotion of the healthcare services of rehabilitation for recipients, improving the response to the needs of rehabilitation service recipients, and reducing the financial and social risks of service recipients.