Lucy Montoro Rehabilitation Network mobile unit: an alternative public healthcare policy

AbstractPurpose: The aim is to analyze rehabilitation services provided by a mobile rehabilitation clinic (MU) in nine regions of the State of Sao Paulo, demonstrating the distribution of orthoses, prostheses and other mobility aids for persons with physical disabilities according to age groups and impairments, as well as the number of persons with physical disabilities as estimated by Brazilian official data sources. Method: The number of persons with disabilities in each region was obtained through estimations from the 2010 Brazilian IBGE Census. The number of assistive technologies suppliers and technicians were provided by the Brazilian Technical Orthopedics Association (ABOTEC). Patients were referred to the MU by Regional Health Departments. After examination of a multidisciplinary team, assistive devices are prescribed and delivered according to patients' needs. Data on patients were also assessed according to questionnaires on their age, diagnosis, gender, marital status and education level. Resul...