COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SETTINGS: A COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE IN SUDAN

Background: Community Based Education (CBE) serves as an
instructional approach to develop professional competencies while
addressing community health needs. Physiotherapy services remain
underutilized in many primary healthcare settings, particularly in lowresource contexts. This study aimed to compare community awareness,
perceptions, and utilization patterns of physiotherapy services across
two primary health centers in Sudan.
Methods: A comparative qualitative descriptive study was conducted
at Al Gosi Health Center and Aleskan Health Center in Omdurman,
Sudan. Data collection included focus group discussions (n=43), semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals (n=15), and patient
feedback sessions across four clinical domains: orthopaedics,
neurology, women’s health, and amputation care.
Results: Four major themes emerged: (1) Limited Baseline Awareness
(78% of participants); (2) Professional Knowledge Gaps (87% of
providers); (3) Positive Service Response (94% reported improvement);
(4) Structural Barriers (geographic distance and cost).
Conclusion: Despite limited baseline awareness, communities demonst
rated strong receptivity when services were accessible. Integration of
physiotherapy into primary healthcare and structured community
education are critical for improving health outcomes.