Training needs on community-based rehabilitation of commune health workers in Viet Nam

To identify training needs related to community-based rehabilitation among commune health workers in Vietnam. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods cross-sectional design. Quantitative data was first collected via structured surveys with 114 commune health workers, followed by 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions to explain and contextualize the quantitative findings. In the quantitative survey, most participants were female (70.2%). The main professional backgrounds were nursing and general medicine, and none had formal rehabilitation specialization. All surveyed participants (100%) reported a need for further training. The three highest-priority topics were processing and synthesizing survey results using the “Disability Model” form (64.9%); assigning areas of CBR responsibility for CBR collaborators (43.0%); and preparing content and organizing monthly rehabilitation meetings with CBR collaborators (43.0%). Training courses were the most preferred delivery format, and group discussions were the most preferred teaching method. Preferred training venues were district health centers or district-level People’s Committees, with provincial-level officers identified as the preferred trainers. Most participants favored short training courses lasting 1–3 days and delivered once a year. Qualitative findings suggested that these preferences reflected limited formal training, the absence of standardized guidance, and practical constraints related to workload and travel in rural settings. Community health workers in rural Vietnam have substantial unmet training needs in community-based rehabilitation. Future capacity-building programs should emphasize practical skills and be delivered through short, face-to-face courses at accessible local venues, with content tailored to the operational realities of primary healthcare settings.