Interdisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation of acquired brain injury - Part II - a proposed model of care for Pakistan.

Abstract

Rehabilitation of acquired brain injury (ABI) is a complex and costly intervention in which the comprehensive rehabilitation services should be integrated with neurosciences units to provide best possible opportunities of recovery to the patients. Keeping in view the diversity and chronicity of impairments, the follow up needs to be well planned in terms of duration and patient convenience. These types of services need to be run by the government and funded by government, with parallel efforts to make national guidelines and registry to keep a track of patients suffering from ABI. In Pakistan, the burden of people with ABI is increasing. This can be attributed to the acts of terrorism and bomb blasts, rapid urbanization and increase in number of motor vehicles resulting in increased frequency of roadside accidents, lack of adequate medical and evacuation services and the absence of hyper acute neurosurgical units. We have proposed an ABI rehabilitation plan considering the local health care system, socio-cultural context and resources. The proposed ABI rehabilitation pathway will not only improve the clinical care and continued support delivered by health services to adults with ABI but will also facilitate community reintegration and support their families and care givers.