Community-based rehabilitation implementation framework to address patellofemoral pain amongst runners in under-resourced communities: Delphi consensus.
Siyabonga Kunene, Nomathemba Taukobong, Serela Ramklass
PMID 34230899WHAT IT FOUND
Experts agreed on a four-part plan for runners with knee pain in poor communities: form a mixed-discipline team, train local helpers to deliver exercises, offer free or low-cost services, and refer complex cases to hospitals.
This is a consensus on how to organise care, not proof it works.
Key findings
01All 19 experts agreed that transdisciplinary rehabilitation teams should be established at secondary or tertiary centres to screen for injuries and manage rehabilitation.
0290% of experts agreed on upskilling less-skilled local personnel, such as community healthcare workers and club trainers, to deliver rehabilitation programmes.
0395% of experts agreed on implementing community-based rehabilitation programmes at a low-level or no-cost to ensure accessibility for runners who cannot afford private care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This study reports expert opinion on how care should be organised, not evidence that the proposed framework improves patient outcomes. The panel consisted of only 19 experts, which may not represent the views of all clinicians working in under-resourced communities. The framework has not been piloted or tested for feasibility in actual community settings. The study focuses specifically on patellofemoral pain in runners, so its direct applicability to other injuries or populations is untested.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high level of expert agreement as evidence that this framework effectively reduces pain or improves function in runners. The study establishes a consensus on how to deliver care in resource-poor settings, but no patients were treated and no clinical outcomes were measured.