Policy statement: Advanced physical therapy practice

Advanced practice: In physiotherapy advanced practice includes:

• a higher level of practice, functions, responsibilities, activities and capabilities
• may be, but is not necessarily, associated with a particular occupational title e.g. ‘consultant physiotherapist’, ‘advanced physiotherapy practitioner’, ‘advanced practice physiotherapist’ ‘extended scope practitioner’
• requires a combination of advanced and distinctly increased clinical and analytical skills, knowledge, clinical reasoning, attitudes and experience
• results in the responsibility for the delivery of care to patients/clients more commonly with complex needs or problems safely and competently and to manage risk

View full list of glossary terms

in

Physical therapy —services for individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. Physical therapy is described more comprehensively in WCPT’s Description of Physical Therapy.

The professional title and term used to describe the profession's practice varies and depends largely on the historical roots of the profession in each country. The most generally used titles and terms are 'physical therapy’, ‘physiotherapy' and ‘physical therapist’, ‘physiotherapist’.

View the full list of glossary terms

has become a more common feature of the profession in the past decade in a number of countries. The emergence of advanced practice opportunities reflects an area for significant development in the delivery of physical therapy to meet the needs of society and evolving service delivery models.