Abstract
The WHO Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS) tool was developed by WHO to facilitate effective prioritization and strategic planning for rehabilitation in countries. The objective of this paper is to present the results of the fourth phase of its development, its field testing in seven countries focusing on its completeness, usefulness, accessibility and feasibility. Field testing occurred in Jordan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Laos, Haiti, and Guyana. Evaluation occurred through structured interviews and rating exercises with 17 government representatives, international consultants, WHO country or regional office staff and rehabilitation experts who were actively engaged and familiar with the STARS assessment and who were knowledgeable of the rehabilitation situation in the countries. STARS was appraised as relevant, complete and accurate in describing the country situation. Areas of inaccuracy were mostly linked to challenges in describing areas of services similarly when significant diversity existed. Feasibility and accessibility were mostly confirmed and more complex components of the tool as well as the guidance to the assessment process were slightly revised in light of the field-testing results. The field testing of WHO STARS confirmed its completeness, usefulness, accessibility and feasibility, and concerns raised by the interviews informed the last refinement of the tool. STARS is part of the WHO Rehabilitation in Health Systems-Guide for Action, available online, by September 2021, STARS had guided 21 country situation assessments.
Highlights
Recognizing the growth in rehabilitation needs in populations, yet the limited and under-resourced services that exist in many countries, the strengthening of rehabilitation is a growing priority [1]
The objective of this paper is to present the results of the Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS) field testing carried out in Jordan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Solomon
The purpose of STARS is to facilitate an accurate assessment of the rehabilitation situation that will inform planning through identifying priority areas for integration and action
Summary
Recognizing the growth in rehabilitation needs in populations, yet the limited and under-resourced services that exist in many countries, the strengthening of rehabilitation is a growing priority [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Rehabilitation 2030 Call for Action [3]. This initiative focuses on strengthening health systems to provide rehabilitation to anyone who needs it and ensuring availability of services at all levels and along the continuum of care. Strengthening health systems to provide rehabilitation requires integration of rehabilitation into the components of a health system. Available online: https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/documents/health-topics/rehabilitation/callforaction2.pdf?sfvrsn=50299fc6_2 (accessed on 3 March 2021)
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