Dr Marc Naidoo
My areas of practice are in neurology and geriatrics as I have always enjoyed working with older people. My research interest is in the business of health systems, more specifically how physiotherapy education can better prepare students to navigate the landscape towards creating solutions that are appropriate for the communities they serve. I think we need to develop research that considers the patient as a customer and employ a bottom-up approach to developing health services that reflect an understanding of the customer experience in the continuum of care.
My master’s study investigated the prevalence of injuries within professional soccer players towards informing the development of appropriate injury prevention programmes. My PhD explored the risk amongst people with spinal cord injuries for developing chronic diseases of lifestyle a year after diagnosis. A key finding was the increased risk for co-morbidities for this participant group, largely due to disparate access to disability services in the South African context, which further compromised the study participants’ ability to maintain their health. I supervise students across different environments, acute, subacute and home settings with a specific focus on spinal cord patients.
Qualifications: BSc (Physiotherapy) MSc UWC PhD UWC