Ensuring quality of life in palliative care physiotherapy in developing countries.
Babatunde Gbolahan Ogundunmade, Davidson Okwudili John, Nnenna Nina Chigbo
PMID 38463610WHAT IT FOUND
Physiotherapists in low-income countries often lack palliative care training, with only 10-21% having received it.
This paper reviews barriers like funding gaps and suggests integrating palliative care into entry-level physiotherapy curricula to improve access for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
Key findings
01A significant proportion of physiotherapists and healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries lack specific training in palliative care, with reported rates of trained professionals ranging from 10% to 21%.
02Barriers to providing palliative care physiotherapy in resource-challenged settings include limited funding, lack of physical infrastructure, and restrictive health insurance coverage, which forces many patients to pay out-of-pocket.
03The authors recommend integrating palliative care into entry-level physiotherapy education and developing specialized career pathways to address workforce shortages and improve service quality.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so the selection of literature may reflect the authors' perspectives rather than an exhaustive search. The paper aggregates data from various countries with vastly different healthcare systems, which may mask specific local barriers or facilitators. No new patient data or clinical trials are presented; the conclusions are based on existing literature and expert opinion. The statistics on training rates (10-21%) are drawn from specific studies cited in the text and may not represent the current global workforce status uniformly.
Declared interests
The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this paper as evidence that specific physiotherapy interventions have been proven effective in palliative care settings through new trials. It is a review of barriers and recommendations, not a report of clinical outcomes from a controlled study.