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Roa Alcaino S.1,2, Araya C. P.3,4, Carvallo M.T.5,6, Reyes J.2, Abarca C.P.4, Negrete J.7, Mena M.J.1, Stephenson R.8
1Universidad del Desarrollo, School of Physical Therapy, Santiago, Chile, 2Colegio de Kinesiologos de Chile, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Pelvic-Perineal Reeducation, Santiago, Chile, 3Universidad San Sebastián, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Santiago, Chile, 4Colegio de Kinesiologos de Chile, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Oncology, Santiago, Chile, 5Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Servicio de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación, Santiago, Chile, 6Colegio de Kinesiologos de Chile, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Santiago, Chile, 7Colegio de Kinesiologos de Chile, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Plastic Surgery and Dermatology, Santiago, Chile, 8Brigham and Women´s Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation Services, Boston, MA, United States
Background: Subgroups are independent specialty organizations within WCPT. They serve an important role in promoting the diversity of the physical therapy profession worldwide. Each subgroup has a specific area of interest, and promotes the advancement of physical therapy and exchange of scientific knowledge in their specialty field.
In Chile, physical therapy areas are organized in scientific societies without direct connection to specialty subgroups within WCPT.
In 2011, and according to the achieved level of Chilean women´s health development, the President of the International Organization for Physical Therapist in Women´s Health (IOPTWH) proposed the establishment of our national Women´s Health specialty group, which was organized as a diverse group of distinctly different but related scientific societies.
In Chile, physical therapy areas are organized in scientific societies without direct connection to specialty subgroups within WCPT.
In 2011, and according to the achieved level of Chilean women´s health development, the President of the International Organization for Physical Therapist in Women´s Health (IOPTWH) proposed the establishment of our national Women´s Health specialty group, which was organized as a diverse group of distinctly different but related scientific societies.
Purpose: To organize members from the Chilean National Physical Therapist Organization (Colegio de Kinesiólogos de Chile, COLKINE), based on the IOPTWH guidelines, to work together for the combined women´s health area while representing the varied women's health physical therapy practioners. This would demonstrating the role that physical therapy has within this specific scope of practice at different care levels, within the general population and other health professionals.
Methods: An email-based invitation was created to invite members from the COLKINE organization to participate in one of two meetings and to present the proposal of establishment of this specialty group as a future subgroup member for IOPTWH. The current IOPTWH President (2014 year) attended in person the first of these meetings.
Results: Members of women´s health-related scientific societies (pelvic-perineal reeducation, gerontology, and oncology) responded and accepted the invitation. The establishment was recognized by the National Physical Therapist Organization. The Chilean interest group application was voted on and unanimously accepted as an IOPTWH member at the Congress of World Confederation for Physical Therapy held in Singapore on May, 2015. Its board was created by seven members: three delegates for IOPTWH and four related scientific societies: Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Pelvic-Perineal Reeducation, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Cardiology and Cardiovascular surgery, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Oncology, Chilean Society of Physical Therapy in Plastic Surgery and Dermatology. Those individuals who have an interest and wish to actively participate in the development of women´s health may also become members, even if they are not members of a scientific society.
Conclusion(s): This community building work allowed the establishment of an inclusive group that is a diverse representation of womens health-related scientific societies. The establishment of the Chilean women´s health group represents the first formal Chilean link into any of the WCPT subgroups, the 2nd Latin-American country to become a member and the first Spanish-speaking worldwide.
Implications: The founding of the Chilean Organization for Women´s Health Physical Therapy promotes that every scientific society, within the broad development of their field of knowledge, to contribute to the interest group with the active participation of a member who is willing to work specifically on the women´s health area. In the future, it is expected that other scientific societies will become active members of this group.
Funding acknowledgements: N/A
Topic: Women's & mens pelvic health
Ethics approval: Ethics approval was not required
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
