China Facing a Critical Shortage of Rehabilitation Therapists

In spite of growing needs, the number of specialists trained in medical rehabilitation remains low.

“The lack of formally trained personnel has become a serious ‘bottleneck’ in the development of medical rehabilitation in China,” said Dr. Li Jianjun, speaking to the Beijing International Forum on Rehabilitation. Dr. Li, Director of the China Rehabilitation Research Center (CRRC) and Editor in Chief of the Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice, estimates that by 2015, China will need over 350,000 trained rehabilitation specialists to meet the needs of the Chinese people.

China’s large population and rapid economic growth is driving much of the demand for medical rehabilitation. Lifestyle changes related to economic development are increasing the numbers of people with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and tobacco-related disorders. This has resulted in increasing numbers of people with illness-related disabilities. Currently China is estimated to have over 82 million people with disabilities, but the healthcare system is able to meet the needs of less than 20% of those with disabilities.

For Dr. Li, the keys to addressing this critical shortage are education and international cooperation. China now has 14 programs countrywide that have been approved to train therapists in medical rehabilitation. Producing 700 therapists a year, these programs need to be expanded and enhanced in order to meet international standards. This means more teachers, more classrooms, and more textbooks are sorely needed.

Recently, the CRRC partnered with the Cheng Health Foundation and the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai'i to establish an educational exchange program in medical rehabilitation. Says Dr. Li, “International partnerships with leading rehabilitation organizations promote mutual understanding and are critical to developing the medical rehabilitation system in China.”