Table 6 Summary of recommendations from the service delivery studies

• Early multi-professional rehabilitation [3, 32,33,34, 38, 40, 42]

• Assistive technology provision [3, 32,33,34, 39]

• Community based rehabilitation provision [3, 38, 40]

• Psychological support [33, 34, 42, 52]

• Effective pain relief [7, 38]

• Use of social media and patient education sheets to raise awareness of rehabilitation services available [3]

• Undertaking of an active search for people in need of rehabilitation and actions to ensure services are accessible [7, 30]

• Close collaboration between trauma surgical services and rehabilitation services [33, 44]

• Rehabilitation should be available with victim triage, assessment, at the scene, in district facilities, in mobile units and in hospitals [37]

• Home adaptations and other environmental barrier modifications, if needed [7, 40]

• Close relationships with local and international stakeholders to integrate rehabilitation response and improve future disaster responses and the allocation of resources [3]

• Expansion of workforce capacity and capabilities is essential [39], a train the trainer [35] model and task shifting [37] should be considered

• Special consideration and provision should be made for vulnerable populations or underserved rural areas to enable a rapid response [39,40,41]

• Empower and improve the rehabilitation capacity of the local community when designing a disaster response rehabilitation program [31]

• A professional volunteer recruitment database can hasten response [6]

• Organization needs to come from authority at the national level and advocacy work is needed to realize this [39, 47]

• Pre-disaster mapping of those who will need specific disability and rehabilitation services [41]