A 10-year literature review of the impact of community based rehabilitation

Abstract

A thematic literature review of the impact of CommunityBased Rehabilitation (CBR) in low to middle-income countries was conducted. The review covered the period from 2002 to 2012, and the CBR Matrix was utilised to provide structure for the evidence. Seven studies that investigated the impact of CBR interventions in developing countries were included. A modified harvest plot was used to summarise the strength and nature of evidence provided in relation to the CBR Matrix. Quantitative studies tended to focus on the Health domain, while qualitative studies generally focussed on the Social and Empowerment domains. No evidence of CBR impact was found in the Education domain, and very little evidence was found pertaining to Livelihood. Overall, the evidence base related to the impact of CBR remains limited, both in terms of quantity and robustness of design.