This paper provides an overview of the current research on community-based rehabilitation (CBR) which can be found in the public domain. A brief background to the concept of CBR is given, and it is shown how much of this published research reflects the fundamental principles of CBR service delivery, technology transfer, community involvement, and organization and management. Specific research is discussed under these headings. Additional topics reviewed include the target populations of, and disabilities addressed in, CBR research, and the epidemiology of disability. A summary of locations where the research has taken place is also presented. It is concluded that, while there is still a need for additional research and evaluation in the extensive field of CBR, there has been some reluctance to either undertake or permit such activities. However, CBR and ultimately the disabled can only benefit from placing research and evaluation of CBR into the public domain.
This article presents an overview of a generalized approach to rehabilitation services which have come to be known as community-based rehabilitation (CBR). The various administrative and government organizations that may be involved in the delivery of rehabilitation services are identified. Specific attention is given to the various forms of medical referral systems that might exist. In general, rehabilitation services are provided at the community level but more difficult cases, which require more sophisticated approaches, are referred to institutions more closely allied to a central government. This referral system also gives the disabled person access to more specialized personnel and services. The sources of information in this article consist of fundamental and formative primary references from documentation provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). These sources provide a valuable set of historical documents detailing the idealized concept of CBR.
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