[The continuum of rehabilitation care and the rehabilitation services that are needed by people with severe disabilities].
OBJECTIVE
As the number of people with disabilities is increasing and their needs for care are varied, the continuum and comprehensiveness of their rehabilitative care are getting more important. This study was performed to understand the utilization of rehabilitation services and requirements of care among the people with severe disabilities in Korea.


METHODS
We interviewed 578 disabled persons who had severe extremity and cerebral impairment in the urban and rural areas of Korea. The questionnaire included questions on their general characteristics, the type of disability, their physical function (ADL, IADL), their use of rehabilitation services after discharge and their requirements for rehabilitation care.


RESULTS
Only 12.6% of people with disability in the community continuously used the available medical rehabilitation care. The associated factors for utilization of rehabilitation services were pain and admission for rehabilitative treatment in the acute phase. There was a great need for rehabilitation services in community and this varied according to gender, the socio-economic status, the functional status and the geographic region. The gap between utilization and need for rehabilitation services was largest in the economic support. The gap of primary health care was larger in the rural area than in the urban area.


CONCLUSIONS
The needs for rehabilitation service were diverse according to the individual functional status, the regional characteristics and other general characteristics of people with disability. Strategies should be considered to eliminate the barriers to obtain rehabilitation services for the people with disability in the community.
Jang
Soong-Nang
SN
Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University.
Rhee
Seonja
S
Kim
Wan-Ho
WH
Lee
Kyu-Beom
KB
Kim
Sukyung
S
Lim
Jae-Young
JY
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population