Li Ling of 304 Hospital Highlights Urgent Need for Talent in Rehabilitation Medicine Amid Industry Growth and Technological Innovation

Li Ling, Vice President of the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Translation and Development

Director, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physiotherapy, and Director, Center for Orthopedic Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese PLA General Hospital

Professor Li Ling serves as the Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physiotherapy, as well as the Director of the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center, at the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital (formerly the 304 Hospital). In 1983, upon graduating from the Fourth Military Medical University and being assigned to its affiliated Xijing Hospital, Professor Li chose to work in the physiotherapy department—a field that was then considered quite “niche” and remains underappreciated to this day. She has witnessed the development of rehabilitation medicine in China over the past three decades. Thirty years ago, discussing rehabilitation was considered a “luxury” in China. To raise awareness among hospital administrators and patients about the importance of rehabilitation, Professor Li devoted considerable effort during those early years. Fortunately, with increasing attention from the state and society, rehabilitation medicine has seen significant development, and the quality of patient rehabilitation has substantially improved.

Rehabilitation medicine started later than other medical disciplines. Internationally, it emerged after World War II, driven by the urgent need to rehabilitate the large number of individuals disabled by the war. In China, rehabilitation medicine did not begin until the mid-1980s, marking an even later start. Over the past three decades, public awareness of rehabilitation medicine has increased, rehabilitation methods and technologies have advanced significantly, and the healthcare security system has gradually improved, leading to substantial development in China’s rehabilitation medicine sector.

With the improvement of living standards and advances in medical technology, life expectancy in China has increased, leading to a growing elderly population. This demographic shift has resulted in a higher prevalence of functional decline, disability, dementia, and a rapid rise in chronic diseases, thereby creating greater demand for rehabilitation medicine. The beneficiaries of rehabilitation services include not only the elderly and patients with chronic conditions but also individuals with disabilities resulting from congenital conditions or acquired injuries and illnesses. Furthermore, advancements in medical technology have significantly improved survival rates for patients with critical illnesses and severe trauma who previously had poor prognoses. However, disabilities caused by these diseases and accidents are often irreversible. Consequently, the growth in these two populations has substantially increased the demand for rehabilitation services in China.

Advances in rehabilitation medicine have also benefited significantly from progress in science and technology. The integration of numerous smart devices into the rehabilitation process has played a supportive role in patient recovery. These intelligent devices enhance the precision of assessing patients’ functional impairments, providing a critical basis for formulating scientifically grounded rehabilitation treatment plans. Furthermore, during rehabilitation training, intelligent robots can collect human functional data in dynamic conditions and provide real-time feedback to both patients and therapists, thereby making rehabilitation therapy more personalized and evidence-based. Nevertheless, complete reliance on such devices is not advisable; comprehensive clinical assessment by physicians and therapists remains essential. Whether the assessment data generated by smart devices meet international standards must be substantiated by extensive scientific research data.

The use of smart devices can also reduce dependence on therapists during treatment and lower labor intensity. China currently faces a severe shortage of rehabilitation therapists; the adoption of intelligent rehabilitation equipment can assist our work and enhance patient engagement during recovery. The design and manufacturing of rehabilitation aids represent an interdisciplinary field with close integration of medicine and engineering. Clinicians communicate with engineering technicians based on feedback from practical use, jointly participating in the research, development, and improvement of advanced equipment.

China’s rehabilitation medicine started later than in other countries, and coupled with a slightly lower level of economic development, there is a gap compared to advanced international standards in terms of both hardware and software systems, particularly the latter. As a relatively young discipline compared to other clinical specialties, rehabilitation medicine faces its greatest challenge in a shortage of talent. The field requires standardization across the entire education system and systematic talent cultivation; however, currently, training for many rehabilitation therapists is non-standardized. Rehabilitation departments in large hospitals have not yet met modern rehabilitation medicine standards, let alone those in smaller hospitals. Taking job classification as an example, China currently does not have a professional title system specifically for rehabilitation therapists; instead, they are promoted under the general title of “technician.” While physicians and nurses have their respective professional titles, the lack of designated titles for therapists has also hindered the development of specialized education.

Secondly, there are deficiencies in the education system. Currently, many universities have launched programs in rehabilitation therapy in response to the surging social demand for rehabilitation therapists. However, numerous institutions lack a robust faculty; many instructors have transitioned from other disciplines and lack specialized theoretical knowledge and practical experience, making it difficult to train high-caliber students. Consequently, many students rely on hands-on practice in reputable hospitals to improve their skills. If these graduates directly enter primary care hospitals after graduation, the disparity in professional competence becomes even more pronounced. Furthermore, the scope of medical insurance coverage is limited. In developed countries, rehabilitation services are fully covered by medical insurance, whereas only a small fraction is covered in our country. Finally, there are still gaps in the construction of the social rehabilitation system, such as the development of barrier-free facilities and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. These issues cannot be resolved overnight.