Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka
Abstract Objective Sri Lanka’s aging population is contributing to a rising burden of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), exacerbated by limited care infrastructure and a shortage of trained professionals. To address this, Sri Lankan universities, through the EU-funded “nEUROcare” project, aim to dev...
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07305-0 |
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| author | Nirmala Rathnayake Thamudi Sundarapperuma Pramudika Nirmani Bimba Wickramarachchi Kumari De Silva Prasanna Herath Damayanthi Dassanayake Sudath Warnakulasuriya Martin Persson |
| author_facet | Nirmala Rathnayake Thamudi Sundarapperuma Pramudika Nirmani Bimba Wickramarachchi Kumari De Silva Prasanna Herath Damayanthi Dassanayake Sudath Warnakulasuriya Martin Persson |
| author_sort | Nirmala Rathnayake |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective Sri Lanka’s aging population is contributing to a rising burden of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), exacerbated by limited care infrastructure and a shortage of trained professionals. To address this, Sri Lankan universities, through the EU-funded “nEUROcare” project, aim to develop a Master’s program in NDD care. This mixed-method study surveyed 150 healthcare professionals and students, alongside Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 18 professionals, using pre-tested tools to assess knowledge, perceptions, and conduct a SWOT analysis. Results Over half of the participants rated their knowledge of NDDs as above average, and 77.4% endorsed the need for a Master’s program. Key motivators included career advancement and enhanced social recognition. Identified strengths were institutional and government support and the capacity of existing universities. Weaknesses included a lack of national policy, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient trained teaching staff. Opportunities were seen in the demographic shift toward an aging population and the potential for economic and academic benefits. Threats included limited stakeholder awareness and funding constraints. The study clearly demonstrates the urgent need for specialized training in NDD care. Establishing a Master’s program would significantly bridge current gaps in care, empower professionals, and improve outcomes for patients and their caregivers in Sri Lanka. Clinical trial number Not applicable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb1a9419a20747d0a5fbf5ac8eb5a55a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Research Notes |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb1a9419a20747d0a5fbf5ac8eb5a55a2025-08-20T01:59:57ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002025-05-011811810.1186/s13104-025-07305-0Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri LankaNirmala Rathnayake0Thamudi Sundarapperuma1Pramudika Nirmani2Bimba Wickramarachchi3Kumari De Silva4Prasanna Herath5Damayanthi Dassanayake6Sudath Warnakulasuriya7Martin Persson8Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of RuhunaDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of RuhunaDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of RuhunaDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of RuhunaDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of RuhunaDepartment of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kotelawala Defence UniversityDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of PeradeniyaDepartment of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of ColomboFaculty of Health Sciences, Kristianstad UniversityAbstract Objective Sri Lanka’s aging population is contributing to a rising burden of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), exacerbated by limited care infrastructure and a shortage of trained professionals. To address this, Sri Lankan universities, through the EU-funded “nEUROcare” project, aim to develop a Master’s program in NDD care. This mixed-method study surveyed 150 healthcare professionals and students, alongside Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 18 professionals, using pre-tested tools to assess knowledge, perceptions, and conduct a SWOT analysis. Results Over half of the participants rated their knowledge of NDDs as above average, and 77.4% endorsed the need for a Master’s program. Key motivators included career advancement and enhanced social recognition. Identified strengths were institutional and government support and the capacity of existing universities. Weaknesses included a lack of national policy, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient trained teaching staff. Opportunities were seen in the demographic shift toward an aging population and the potential for economic and academic benefits. Threats included limited stakeholder awareness and funding constraints. The study clearly demonstrates the urgent need for specialized training in NDD care. Establishing a Master’s program would significantly bridge current gaps in care, empower professionals, and improve outcomes for patients and their caregivers in Sri Lanka. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07305-0Need surveyNeurodegenerative disease careMaster's programSri Lanka |
| spellingShingle | Nirmala Rathnayake Thamudi Sundarapperuma Pramudika Nirmani Bimba Wickramarachchi Kumari De Silva Prasanna Herath Damayanthi Dassanayake Sudath Warnakulasuriya Martin Persson Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka BMC Research Notes Need survey Neurodegenerative disease care Master's program Sri Lanka |
| title | Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka |
| title_full | Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka |
| title_fullStr | Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka |
| title_short | Bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care: a needs assessment for a Master’s program in Sri Lanka |
| title_sort | bridging the gap in neurodegenerative disease care a needs assessment for a master s program in sri lanka |
| topic | Need survey Neurodegenerative disease care Master's program Sri Lanka |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07305-0 |
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