Advanced Practice In Developing Countries (SEM-01)

STRENGTHENING REHABILITATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: EXAMPLE OF ADVANCED PRACTICE PHYSIOTHERAPY IN AFRICA

This seminar aims to present practical examples of what advanced practice physiotherapy (APP) means to physiotherapists in low-resource settings by drawing on examples from countries in Africa. APP has been developed to address the need to improve patient access to care, reduce wait times for patients, and reduce the cost of delivering care. The rapid expansion of APP has been predominantly in high-resource countries within government funded health care systems. Very little is known about APP in low-resource settings and in countries with very limited health care funding. There are questions about what APP means to physiotherapists in low resourced settings, how is APP impacting healthcare delivery and the challenges and barriers to implementation.

Drawing on examples from African countries, this seminar will present practical examples of how physiotherapists within low-resource countries are advancing their practice within the limited resources to strengthen rehabilitation and improve the healthcare system. This seminar will challenge participants to rethink what APP is and how the implementation of APP is influenced by the local contexts such as the level of entry-level physiotherapy education, the resources available to the therapist, and the local support provided by the health care system.

1. Discuss what APP means to countries with low-resources and describe the importance of developing APP models of care to strengthen rehabilitation in developing countries.
2. Provide practical examples of how countries with low resources have implemented APP models of care to strengthen rehabilitation within their countries with examples from Africa.
3. Stimulate discussion on the barriers, facilitators and strategies for implementing APP models of care in developing countries and discuss the next steps.

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