This is a Current Issue because, at the time of writing, COVID-19 has affected many countries and territories worldwide and Iran ranked early on as one of the most seriously affected countries. As a result, this pandemic crisis poses a considerable challenge to people with disabilities in Iran. In this short article we show the different challenges people with disabilities are facing during the COVID emergency in Iran. In addition, we provide several recommendations, based on our perspective and experience in Rehabilitation and Health Policy Centres, to improve the situation in the content of the COVID-19 breakout.
Caring for a person with mental illness affects caregivers emotionally, financially, physically, and it elicits some restrictions in their routine (daily hassles). Finally, it causes conflicts in family relationships. Despite some differences regarding perceived burden among caregivers of schizophrenia and affective disorders, a common pattern of burden could be identified. Thus, authorities should provide adequate financial, educational, and psychosocial supports for caregivers of mental illnesses.
An orthopaedic shoe can be expensive, and in particular heavy with most children reluctant to wear it. This study focussed on the CoP displacement and selected gait parameters with an orthopaedic shoe and functional foot orthosis, and showed that a combined prescription of a functional foot orthosis and with regular shoes may be a useful alternative for children with moderate flat foot.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ankle-foot orthoses on speed walking in patients with stroke. Data sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CENTRAL, PEDro, RehabData, RECAL, and ProQuest were searched from inception until 30 September 2019. Review methods: This study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline statement. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Begg’s test and Egger’s regression method were used to assess the publication bias. Trim and fill analysis was also used to adjust any potential publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of individual studies. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Results: Overall, 14 studies were included with a total of 1186 participants. A small-to-moderate and non-significant improvement in favor of the ankle-foot orthosis versus without ankle-foot orthosis (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval = −0.15 to 0.96), similar effects of ankle-foot orthosis and functional electrical stimulation (SMD = 0.00, 95% confidence interval = −0.16 to 0.16), and a small and non-significant improvement in favor of ankle-foot orthosis versus another type of ankle-foot orthosis (SMD = 0.22, 95% confidence interval = −0.05 to 0.49) in walking speed were found. However, the quality of evidence for all comparisons was low or very low. Conclusion: Despite reported positive effects in some studies, there is no firm evidence of any benefit of ankle-foot orthoses on walking speed.
Background: People with disability experience various problems to access to healthcare services. This study aimed to identify cultural
barriers in access to healthcare services for people with disability in Iran.
Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using content analysis to identify the cultural barriers. We used semi-structured interviews
to collect data. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling with maximum variation. 50 individual interviews were
conducted with three groups of people with disability, healthcare services providers and policy makers, September to May 2015, at
different locations in Tehran, Iran.
Results: We identified a number of different cultural barriers in access to health services for people with disability in Iran. These
related to health service providers, namely reluctance to provide health services and disrespect; related to People with disability, namely
denial of disability, disproportionate expectation, shame and insufficient sociocultural supports; and related to policy makers, namely
lack of concern, little attention to the culture of disability and discrimination. We categorized misconception as a barrier that was
observed at all levels of the society.
Conclusion: Disability is a reality that some human being may experience and live with it. The negative attitude towards people with
disability has a close relationship with the cultural norms of a society. The culture of disability in different dimensions should be a
priority for all policy makers. Removing cultural barriers in access to healthcare for people with a disability needs collective efforts
and collaborations among all stakeholders.
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