Meeting global rehabilitation needs: The development and evaluation of an international visiting rehabilitation student program

Collaboration to increase capacity for healthcare professionals requires careful planning, open communication, implementation, formative and summative evaluation, and sustainability. International collaboration to meet the rehabilitation needs of China requires a supportive structure of faculty and staff implementing the program. The purpose of this article is to explore the development of a collaborative international rehabilitation education program and illustrate outcomes as they relate to professional development, cultural competency, and healthcare team skills. A retrospective analysis of program assessment data was completed including pre and posttest survey results and focused interviews. Results indicate that program participants had a significant positive change in values and beliefs towards cultural diversity and increased awareness of interdisciplinary team skills which contributed to overall professional development as future rehabilitation practitioners. The description and assessment of the program also serves as a framework for the development of future collaborative international rehabilitation education programs. Future research could explore institutional growth and faculty development of collaborating educational institutions.