The research project led by Dr Sam C. C. Chan, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, is commissioned by the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (HKSR). In response to the societal demand of Rehabus, the purpose of the study is to explore the current booking system and operation status of the Rehabus through policy review, individual interviews, focus groups, forums and surveys, so as to improve and optimize the policies and services of the Rehabus.

The current practice of the HKSR on prioritizing users’ use of service is based on “first-come-first-served”. This current practice however may not be able to achieve “the most optimal use of public funds for serving those who are the most in need”. In order to improve the inclusiveness, fairness and transparency of the current Rehabus services, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) System, which was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify personal and functional factors, will be adopted to optimizing the Rehabus services. Taking all the stakeholders’ perspective into consideration, the research team anticipates that the application of the ICF system in the Rehabus services could meet the public’s expectations and needs comprehensively, in order to provide person-oriented rehabilitation treatment or services.