Ukraine approves first standard of rehabilitation care for patients with spinal cord injuries
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine approved the first national standard of rehabilitation care – “Provision of rehabilitation care for spinal cord injuries” (Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated October 20, 2025 No. 1601).
The document was developed within the framework of the implementation of the Government Action Program and is part of the updated system of standards in the field of healthcare. Previously, rehabilitation care was a component of clinical guidelines for medical care, but now it has received its own separate standards with clearly prescribed algorithms, quality criteria and division of responsibilities between specialists. This became possible after amendments were made to the Fundamentals of Ukrainian Legislation on Healthcare, which introduced the concept of a standard of rehabilitation care and made it possible to introduce such documents at the state level.
The standard describes in detail three stages of providing care to people with spinal cord injuries – acute, post-acute and long-term. For the first time, it clearly defines how the patient’s recovery should occur at each of them – from the first days after the injury to returning to their usual lifestyle.
Special attention is paid to the work of a multidisciplinary team, which includes a doctor of physical and rehabilitation medicine, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation nurse, a social worker and other specialists. Specific tasks are defined for each to ensure consistency and continuity of the recovery process.
For the first time, indicators of the quality of rehabilitation care for spinal cord injuries have been established at the standard level. This will increase the effectiveness and safety of treatment, prevent complications and, most importantly, help patients return to an active life and participation in society.
The standard is based on an adapted clinical guideline developed taking into account the international recommendations of SCIRE, ISCoS, Can-SCIP and PVA. This ensures that the Ukrainian rehabilitation system complies with modern world practices.
Currently, working groups, which include leading Ukrainian specialists in the field of rehabilitation, scientists, representatives of medical institutions and public organizations of people with disabilities, continue to develop new standards of rehabilitation care.
