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Cech D.1, Alvarado Z.2, Wappenstein D.3, Cesar Bermudez J.4
1Midwestern University, Physical Therapy Program, Downers Grove, United States, 2Causes for Change International, Downers Grove, United States, 3Ecuadorian Society for Physiotherapists, Quito, Ecuador, 4University of Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador
Background: Physical therapy professional education varies across the globe. Physical therapist preparation programs vary from certificate to clinical doctoral programs and curricular content is not standardized. In South America PT education programs are primarily at the bachelor's degree level. (Moffat 2012) The World Confederation of Physical Therapy (WCPT) has provided globally relevant guidelines related to the education of physical therapists to best meet the global health, social, and cultural needs of countries and patients.
Physical therapists play an important role in improving health, mobility and function of their patients and in addressing global health concerns (obesity, diabetes, heart disease) (Dean, 2010), making it important for all regions of the world to have a well-trained physical therapist workforce. The current Ecuadorian PT workforce does not appear to be sufficient to meet the needs of citizens in rural and some indigenous communities. Absence of a unified physical therapy curriculum in Ecuador has allowed for varied levels of preparation across the spectrum of physical therapy service delivery. Because of new requirements for physical therapy education set by the Ecuadorian government, as of 2016 all programs must meet the criteria of a unified curriculum.
Because of global variation in physical therapist preparation and work force shortages, it is important to look for mechanisms to support global partners in developing their physical therapy workforce and improving access for all citizens of the world to physical therapy services.
Physical therapists play an important role in improving health, mobility and function of their patients and in addressing global health concerns (obesity, diabetes, heart disease) (Dean, 2010), making it important for all regions of the world to have a well-trained physical therapist workforce. The current Ecuadorian PT workforce does not appear to be sufficient to meet the needs of citizens in rural and some indigenous communities. Absence of a unified physical therapy curriculum in Ecuador has allowed for varied levels of preparation across the spectrum of physical therapy service delivery. Because of new requirements for physical therapy education set by the Ecuadorian government, as of 2016 all programs must meet the criteria of a unified curriculum.
Because of global variation in physical therapist preparation and work force shortages, it is important to look for mechanisms to support global partners in developing their physical therapy workforce and improving access for all citizens of the world to physical therapy services.
Purpose: The purpose of this case report is to describe the collaboration between 1 university in Ecuador (University of Milagro) and a NGO (Causes for Change International) in developing a new physical therapist education program, contributing to continuing professional education for health care professionals, and supporting local faculty development.
Methods: Causes for Change and the University of Milagro partnered to provide continuing education programs for health professionals for many years and recently developed a physical therapist preparation curriculum, using the WCPT curricular guidelines. The curriculum was revised in 2016 to meet new Ecuadorian governmental standards for physical therapist education in 2016. The NGO and University collaborated with the Ecuadorian Society of Physiotherapists and other Ecuadorian Universities to ensure that the new program would support the physical therapy needs of Ecuador.
Results: The University-NGO collaboration has developed a proposal for a new entry level professional physical therapy education in one region of Ecuador, and has supported continuing professional development for the current physical therapist workforce.
Conclusion(s): The University-NGO collaboration has opened doors for professional physical therapy education in one region of Ecuador.
Implications: By contributing to the development of well-trained physical therapists, the University of Milagro can assist the Society of Physiotherapists in Ecuador in meeting the physical therapy needs of the country. Causes for Change International also remains committed to development of well qualified health care professionals in Ecuador and development of local faculty. The potential for future collaborations with the Ecuadorian Society of Physical Therapists, physical therapy educational institutions across the country, and international partners in building a high quality physical therapy workforce in Ecuador are substantial.
Funding acknowledgements: No funding awards were used in this project
Topic: Education
Ethics approval: Ethics approval was not required for this project
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
