Perspectives and challenges of physiotherapists, special educators and other healthcare workers in implementing eco-integration for persons with disabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v16i1.636Abstract
Eco-integration, as a multidimensional model of inclusive rehabilitation is designed to bring together environmental, social, and institutional domains to stimulate participation and quality of life for persons with disabilities. Despite its conceptual acceptance, the practical application of eco-integrative in clinical environment is insufficiently researched. This research investigates the perceptions and challenges experienced by 64 healthcare workers and special educators in North Macedonia in implementing eco-integration. With structured questionnaire, the study assessed familiarity with the concept, viewed implementation levels, and factors contributing to social isolation among persons with disabilities. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare perceptions among the professions. Results indicate that while 78.1% of participants reported familiarity with eco-integration, only 7.8% believed it was fully implemented in their workplace. Significant interprofessional differences were observed (F = 4.031, p = 0.022), with physiotherapists more likely to report partial implementation. Key barriers were inaccessible environments, social stigma, and lack of interdisciplinary cooperation. The definitions of eco-integration from the participants included community-based services, assistive technologies, and family-centred care. On the other hand, institutional adoption of these components was limited. The results showed a gap between awareness and operationalization of eco-integration in practice. Responding to this requires strategic policy adjustments, capacity building through interprofessional education, and the development of context-sensitive models to enable systematic implementation. The study contributes new knowledge on eco-integrative rehabilitation and points to the need for a more structured, inclusive, and collaborative approach in disability care.
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