Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice ›› 2026, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (6): 731-738.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2026.06.011

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Construction of undergraduate rehabilitation engineering curriculum system based on World Health Organization rehabilitation competency framework

WEI Yongli1a, DING Junhang1a, ZHOU Ping1a(), YANG Xiaoman1b, WANG Zhen1a, YU Fujie1a, DUAN Fangfang1a, GUAN Enjing1c()   

  1. 1 a. School of Rehabilitation Sciences and Engineering; b. Office of Academic Affairs; c. Information and Networking Center, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266113, China
  • Received:2026-04-03 Published:2026-06-25 Online:2026-06-24
  • Supported by:
    China Disabled Persons' Federation Special Project on Assistive Devices(2023CDPFAT-39);China Disabled Persons' Federation Special Project on Assistive Devices(2023CDPFAT-06);Course Reform of Shandong Provincial Education Department(Z2024438);Course Reform of Shandong Provincial Education Department(M2024354);Shandong Province Natural Science Foundation(Youth)(ZR2023QF135)

Abstract:

Objective To address the shortage of high-caliber multidisciplinary professionals in China's rehabilitation engineering field and the prominent issue of "separation between medicine and engineering" in existing curricula, this study introduces the World Health Organization rehabilitation competency framework(RCF)to construct a systematic curriculum system for rehabilitation engineering.
Methods Guided by the four core competency domains of RCF(practice, professionalism, learning and development, management and leadership)and their associated supporting knowledge, the rehabilitation engineering curriculum was restructured into a modular framework, piloted and validated within the Biomedical Engineering(Intelligent Robotics)program at University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Results A four-tiered curriculum system comprising General Education-Disciplinary Platform-Professional Core-Diverse Electives with a total of 160 credits was established, achieving precise mapping between competency objectives and course content. The students in the pilot cohort demonstrated outstanding academic performance(50% ranked in the top ten of their major), they also gained a deeper understanding and mastery of interdisciplinary knowledge integrating medicine and engineering.
Conclusion The RCF-based curriculum system effectively promotes the organic integration of medical and engineering knowledge, providing an internationally aligned competency-oriented paradigm for rehabilitation engineering talent cultivation, which holds significant value for broader application.

Key words: rehabilitation engineering, curriculum system, rehabilitation competency framework, medical-engineering interdisciplinary studies, teaching reform

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