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Purpose: To explore medical doctors' views on what are barriers in providing rehabilitation services for persons with SCI in Mongolia., Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted with 12 medical doctors. Participants were purposely sampled. The World Health Organization (WHO)'s report International Perspectives on Spinal Cord Injury was chosen as a guide to structure the interviews. The study used inductive thematic analysis., Results: Five barriers in the provision of rehabilitation services were identified: low awareness and limited knowledge regarding SCI and rehabilitation issues, inadequate rehabilitation policies, deficiencies in infrastructure, deficiencies in equipment and medication, and a shortage of well-prepared rehabilitation workforce., Conclusions: Based on WHO recommendations "Rehabilitation in health systems", this study provides suggestions on how to strengthen rehabilitation services in Mongolia to better respond to the needs of the SCI population. Our findings highlight that a core issue is the lack of awareness among policymakers regarding rehabilitation and its benefits at the micro, meso and macro levels of the health system. Actions are needed at the level of health policies to ensure, for instance, adequate financing and access to the services. Also, synergies between the Ministries of Education and Health can improve the training of the workforce.Implications for rehabilitationEvidence that rehabilitation services contribute to improving health outcomes and cost-effectiveness could raise awareness among Mongolian policymakers and inform their decisions on funding schemes.Health policies in Mongolia should be reformed to remove barriers in the provision of rehabilitation services for persons with complex and chronic health conditions.Rehabilitation services need to be included into the Mongolian health insurance scheme in order to improve the quality and accessibility of rehabilitation services.Synergies between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health in Mongolia are needed to develop training standards for rehabilitation professionals.

Context : Environmental factors play a key role in the lives of individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). This study identifies environmental barriers and their impacts on daily lives as perceived by individuals living with SCI in Mongolia. Design: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted. A topic guide for the interviews was structured around the components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Setting: Urban and rural areas of Mongolia. Participants: A purposive sample of 16 persons with traumatic SCI. Interventions: Not applicable. Outcome Measures: Not applicable. Results: Seven categories of environmental barriers were mentioned, such as poor access to the physical environment, absence of wheelchair-friendly transportation, negative societal attitudes, inadequate health and rehabilitation services, lack of access to assistive devices and medicines, limited financial resources for healthcare, and inaccurate categorization of disabilities in laws. These barriers were claimed to have an impact on physical and psychological health, limit activities, and restrict participation in almost all areas of life. Conclusion: This study contributes to the identification of targets for interventions aimed at improving the lived experience of persons with SCI in a low-resource context. The findings reveal that while the Mongolian government already has laws and policies in place to improve access to the physical environment, transportation, assistive devices and employment, much more has to be done in terms of enforcement. Specialized SCI care and rehabilitation services are highly demanded in Mongolia.