Policy statement: Patients’/clients’ rights in physical therapy

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy advocates for:

• respect of a

  Patient: An individual who is the recipient of physical therapy and direct interventions. A person for whom a health service accepts responsibility for treatment and/or care. Individuals who are recipients of physical therapy may also be referred to as clients or service users.

  See also Client, Service user

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  ’s/

  Client: a person, group or organisation eligible to receive services either directly or indirectly from a physiotherapist. The client is: 

  • an individual who is not necessarily sick or injured but who can benefit from a physiotherapist’s consultation, professional advice, or services; or 
  • a business, school system, and others to whom physiotherapists offer services.

  See also Patient

  See also Service user

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  ’s dignity, integrity and self-determination
• protection of the legal status of the patient/client in connection with the

  Health: 'Health' is defined in the WHO constitution of 1948 as a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

  See also Health promotion

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  system and the

  Physical therapist: A professional who has successfully completed a professional entry level programme that enables them to identify and maximise quality of life and functional movement potential, within the spheres of promotion, prevention, maintenance, intervention/treatment and rehabilitation. This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional and social wellbeing. Physical therapist practice involves the interaction between the physical therapist, patients or clients, families, care givers, other health care providers and communities, in a process of assessing movement potential and in establishing agreed upon goals and objectives using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists. The first professional qualification, obtained in any country, represents the completion of a curriculum that qualifies the physical therapist to use the professional title and to practise as an independent professional.

  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’.

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• patients’/clients’ rights to a relationship based on trust, reliability and confidentiality between them and the physical therapist