The Second Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health : developing an action plan to promote health in daily practice and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases
Dean, Elizabeth; Dornelas de Andrade, Armele; O’Donoghue, Grainne; Skinner, Margot; Umereh, Gloria; Beenen, Paul; Cleaver, Shaun; Afzalzada, DelAfroze; Delaune, Mary Fran; Footer, Cheryl; Gannotti, Mary; Gappmaier, Ed; Figl-Hertlein, Astrid; Henderson, Bobbie; Hudson, Megan K.; Spiteri, Karl; King, Judy; Klug, Jerry L.; Laakso, E-Liisa; LaPier, Tanya; Lomi, Constantina; Maart, Soraya; Matereke, Noel; Meyer, Erna Rosenlund; M’kumbuzi, Vyvienne R.P.; Mostert-Wentzel, Karien; Myezwa, Hellen; Olse´n, Monika Fagevik; Peterson, Cathy; Pe´tursdo´ ttir, Unnur; Robinson, Jan; Sangroula, Kanchan; Stensdotter, Ann-Katrin; Tan, Bee Yee; Tschoepe, Barbara A.; Bruno, Selma; Mathur, Sunita; Wong, Wai Pong
Date:
2014-05
Abstract:
Based on indicators that emerged from The First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health (2007), the Second Summit (2011) identified
themes to inform a global physical therapy action plan to integrate health promotion into practice across the World Confederation for
Physical Therapy (WCPT) regions. Working questions were: (1) how well is health promotion implemented within physical therapy practice; and (2)
how might this be improved across five target audiences (i.e. physical therapist practitioners, educators, researchers, professional body
representatives, and government liaisons/consultants). In structured facilitated sessions, Summit representatives (n ¼ 32) discussed: (1) within
WCPT regions, what is working and the challenges; and (2) across WCPT regions, what are potential directions using World Cafe´TM
methodology. Commonalities outweighed differences with respect to strategies to advance health-focused physical therapy as a clinical
competency across regions and within target audiences. Participants agreed that health-focused practice is a professional priority, and a strategic
action plan was needed to develop it as a clinical competency. The action plan and recommendations largely paralleled the principles and
objectives of the World Health Organization’s non-communicable diseases action plan. A third Summit planned for 2015 will provide a
mechanism for follow-up to evaluate progress in integrating health-focused physical therapy within the profession.