Vietnam Rehabilitation Guideli

In the framework of the "Advancing Medical Care and Rehabilitation Education" project inVietnam, and with the guidance and support of the Ministry of Health, Humanity & Inclusion(previously known as Handicap International) and its partners contribute to the strengthening ofmedical and rehabilitation care for persons with disabilities due to brain lesion (i.e.
stroke,traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and spina bifida and hydrocephalus).In order to provide rehabilitation specialists (rehabilitation doctors, nurses, therapists...) with thetools they need to properly support persons with disabilities, the project, with the financialsupport of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has developed up-to-date and comprehensive "Rehabilitation Guidelines".With the assistance of international experts and Vietnamese specialists, these guidelines havebeen developed based on the latest available scientific evidences or, where evidences are stilllacking, internationally-recognized best-practices.
The constant involvement and support receivedfrom Vietnamese medical and rehabilitation professionals in the development process ensuredcontextualization and ownership of these guidelines as they brought in not only their technicalexpertise but also their knowledge and experiences on the Vietnamese context and the localneeds and resources.Two types of documents have been developed.
Besides the General Rehabilitation Guidelines,which provide wide-ranging recommendations on care provision and quality principles, more“Technical” Guidelines have also been produced for each of the targeted conditions.
Thesetechnical guidelines are specific to one "type" of care (physiotherapy, occupational therapy,speech and language therapy; and for some conditions medical and nursing care as well).
Theyprovide rehabilitation professionals with more specific, detailed technical guidance, allowingthem to better understand their specific role in the general rehabilitation approach and theprovision of multi-disciplinary, person-centred and evidence-based care.The result of this process is a comprehensive set of guidelines that we hope will be widelyspread and support all rehabilitation actors in providing better and higher quality care to thepeople in need.The present English version of the Rehabilitation Guidelines has been developed with valuedsupport from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.
It is our hope that the Vietnamese version ofthe respective guidelines will be officially endorsed by the Ministry as national guidelines forrehabilitation care of persons with brain lesions.