Mrs. Fiona Breytenbach

Fiona Breytenbach is a South African occupational therapy researcher whose work centres on neurorehabilitation and health systems strengthening within public healthcare. Her scholarship engages closely with clinical practice in hospital settings, with particular attention to stroke and traumatic brain injury care in Gauteng, including research linked to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

Her publications examine factors influencing length of hospital stay for stroke survivors and advocate for dedicated stroke units to enhance coordinated, early rehabilitation. She has also investigated barriers and facilitators affecting occupational therapy services for traumatic brain injury, highlighting systemic gaps and proposing strategies to improve access, policy development, and interdisciplinary practice.

Breytenbach’s research further addresses outcome measurement and service transitions, including validation of the modified Barthel Index for local contexts and exploration of healthcare transition practices for adolescents with chronic conditions. Across her work, a consistent strength lies in contextualising global rehabilitation models for South African settings, contributing evidence to inform training, guidelines, and service reform.