A qualitative study of the challenges of providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in rural South Africa:

Background:There is a known shortage of rehabilitation staff in rural settings and a sharp increase in the number of lower limb amputations being performed. A lack of adequate pre-prosthetic rehabilitation will result in worse physical and psychological outcomes for a person with a lower limb amputation, and they will not be eligible to be fitted with a prosthesis.Objective:To explore therapists’ experiences with providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in a rural setting.Study design:A qualitative descriptive approach was used to collect and analyse data.Methods:Data were collected from 17 purposively sampled therapists in five district hospitals in a rural community in South Africa. Data were collected in two rounds of focus groups to explore the challenges of providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in rural South Africa.Results:The main themes identified in the study were (1) a lack of government health system support, (2) poor socioeconomic circumstances of patients and (3) cultural factors that influe...