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M. Purkarthofer1, B. Salchinger1
1FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Health Studies, Graz, Austria
Background: Physiotherapy brings value to the health care response in disaster zones, particularly in regard to the functional outcome in patients. A clear understanding of their work and the context helps physiotherapists to effectively use their skills and meet patients’ needs. Several guidelines have been published in recent years mapping the tasks and responsibilities of physiotherapists in disaster settings. However, studies identify a lack of knowledge about their roles among the physiotherapists themselves and other actors involved. Role understanding is essential for advocacy, education, effective teamwork and the provision of quality-assured service. The Austrian Competency Profile for Physiotherapists assigns seven roles to physiotherapists: expert, communicator, collaborator, manager, health promoter, innovator and professional. It remains to be seen how these roles apply to disaster settings.
Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the roles physiotherapists take on in disaster relief work and how the roles differ according to relief work guidelines, qualitative studies and the Austrian Competency Profile. This will demonstrate whether there is a need to adapt the roles for this specific setting.
Methods: Six guidelines on rehabilitation in disaster settings and three qualitative studies on the experience of physiotherapists in disaster relief work were reviewed. They were compared to each other and analysed in regard to whether the seven roles assigned to physiotherapists in the Austrian Competency Profile matched the competences needed in this situation.
Results: According to both guidelines and studies, physiotherapists in disaster settings take on all seven roles described in the Austrian Competency Profile. When comparing the traditional roles to those in disaster settings, there is a shift in relevance of certain roles and the responsibilities within the roles. Four new roles, including auxiliary, psychosocial support provider, individual with needs and guest are added. The role descriptions in the guidelines and the studies are congruent in some respects. However, guidelines prove a clearer role understanding and assign more responsibilities to the physiotherapists.
Conclusion(s): There is an extended role for physiotherapists in disaster settings, but this role is not yet thoroughly understood nor implemented in the field. Currently, there is a gap between the ideal role described in guidelines and the actual role assumed by physiotherapists. Bridging the gap between knowledge and practice can help to unlock the full potential of physiotherapists in disaster relief work and improve the effectivity of the entire health care response in disasters. The Austrian Competency Profile would need minor adaptations regarding roles and competences to tailor it to a disaster relief work setting.
Implications: Guidelines should be reviewed regarding their applicability to practice and adapted to reality where necessary. Physiotherapists working in disaster settings need to clarify and expand their role understanding and implement it. Education, pre-deployment training and multi-perspective research are key elements to maximise the value of physiotherapists in disaster relief work. An adapted version of the Austrian Competency Profile would additionally help to raise awareness for physiotherapy in disaster zones.
Funding, acknowledgements: none
Keywords: physiotherapy, disaster relief work, roles
Topic: Disaster management
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Institution: N/A
Committee: N/A
Reason: review of publicly available data
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
