COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SETTINGS: A COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE IN SUDAN

Background: Community Based Education (CBE) serves as an instructional approach to develop professional competencies while addressing community health needs. Physiotherapy services remain underutilized in many primary healthcare settings, particularly in low-resource contexts. This study aimed to compare community awareness, perceptions, and utilization patterns of physiotherapy services across two primary health centers in Sudan. Methods: A comparative qualitative descriptive study was conducted at Al Gosi Health Center and Aleskan Health Center in Omdurman, Sudan. Data collection included focus group discussions (n=43), semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals (n=15), and patient feedback sessions across four clinical domains: orthopaedics, neurology, women’s health, and amputation care.