Ukrainian war trauma patients abroad: the rehabilitation process in light of language barriers, cultural differences, war, and infection isolation.

OBJECTIVE

To study the rehabilitation of Ukrainian war trauma patients abroad, focusing on 5 areas of particular interest: communication, cultural differences, infection isolation, psychosocial load, and the rehabilitation process.

DESIGN

Observational study.

SUBJECTS

(i) 14 Ukrainian patients who underwent rehabilitation at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Norway; (ii) 15 members of multidisciplinary teams providing war trauma rehabilitation.

METHODS

Combined methods.

PATIENTS

medical file review, Client Satisfaction Questionnaire 8, custom questionnaire on the 5 focal areas. Hospital staff: focus-group interviews.

RESULTS

Patients preferred professional interpreters, while multilingual staff served an additional role in providing psychological support and cultural mediation. All patients experienced infection isolation, and health professionals worried about the added psychological strain this entailed. Patients reported high trust in the therapists and high satisfaction with rehabilitation. Although war and infection isolation were negative influences, patients reported overall good mood. Health professionals reported becoming more skilled at facilitating rehabilitation under these conditions.

CONCLUSION

Despite challenges within the 5 areas assessed, providing rehabilitation to patients evacuated from a country at war is feasible and valuable for patients and health professionals. Both patients and health professionals showed willingness to adapt to foreign concepts, perhaps aided by multilingual health professionals acting as cultural mediators.