Table 5 Suggestions from patients on how rehabilitation services at primary care may be improved

Patient and community participation

 Open communication to improve PCPs-patient partnership

When I come to the clinic to report every kind of pain I am experiencing. (P10, rural PHC facility)

 Community engagement through the dissemination of information to the community to increase awareness of available rehabilitation services

Yes. If you do that, people will know, they will know that… there will be physiotherapists there. And anyone who has problems related to that will be assisted. Just like me, I will also spread the word. (P10, rural PHC facility)

 Patient voice through anonymous platforms

I believe that there should be things like suggestion boxes in every clinic… The people who should bring change to each clinic should open those boxes. Sometimes it is not easy to tell the nurse or to ask for such information because you feel like you are telling them what to do or you are teaching them their job. (P5, urban PHC facility)

Rehabilitation human resources

 Ensure availability of relief rehabilitation professionals to attend to patients who had booked appointments

I suppose if physios should be on time or there should be a relief physio or something to that affect to attend to those patients that’s got appointments because now, I know for a fact that if I get another date, it’s going to be a very late date because of the big amount of people that they have to see unfortunately. (P24, urban PHC facility)

Rehabilitation service delivery

 Adequate assessment and diagnosis of functioning problems

I believe that since I pulled my muscles. I believe that there's supposed to be therapy to investigate the cause of the incident. (P1, urban PHC facility)

 Improve patient education regarding self-management of functioning problems

I do feel that there was some form of knowledge that I could have received to ease the pain. (P4, urban PHC facility)

 Improve patient education regarding available rehabilitation services

You can just explain to the people who are waiting outside that there are going to be Physiotherapists here. If you do that, they will know. (P10, rural PHC facility)

 Provide telephonic communication with patients

Something that I wish can be done is to have communication with the clinic. Maybe over the phone. (P7, urban PHC facility)

 Provide vocational training/support programs to address socio-economic integration

There was a social worker here who I used to speak to, so we ended up being part of a project where we worked on one of the gardens. But I moved to the rural areas, so I think now it would be better if I can do that maybe once or to do something where I live… (P7, urban PHC facility)

It would be great if the hospital could also assist with the social grant or food parcels because food is also scarce for him. (P8, urban PHC facility)