The Status of Rehabilitation in Iran: Barriers and Facilitators

Rehabilitation is one of the basic services for the elderly and people with disabilities and provides the possibility of equal opportunities and participation in the society. In fact, it is one of the main pillars of the health; however, less attention has been paid to this issue in Iran, and it does not have a specific place in the health system. The present study aims to find barriers and facilitators regarding rehabilitation programs for the elderly and people with disabilities in Iran.

This is a qualitative study using content analysis method. Participants were 13 experts in different fields of rehabilitation who were selected using a purposive sampling method which continued until the data saturation. The data were collected using a semi-structured in-depth interview from February 2021 to February 2022. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and then were analyzed by using conventional content analysis method and using constant comparative analysis.

Two main categories of barriers and facilitators, each with 4 sub-categories were identified. The barriers were: High number of rehabilitation trustees, lack of awareness of officials and people, lack of attention to the role of the municipality in rehabilitation, and poor rehabilitation management. Facilitators were: Building culture in the field of rehabilitation and disability, improving the insight of officials, the role of rehabilitation specialists, benefiting from the experiences of other countries.

The identified barriers and facilitators can help officials and policymakers in Iran to improve the status of rehabilitation and provide better services to people with disabilities.