Policy statement: Physical therapist practice specialisation

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) supports member organisations’ leadership and advocacy to influence national policies on practice

Specialisation: Physiotherapist specialisation is the result of in-depth knowledge, skills and competence attained by a physical therapist qualified in a specific area, within the scope of practice recognised as physiotherapy. This usually results from defined training and educational pathways, associated with a formal process for testing and recognising the higher level acquired, but it may also be demonstrated as a result of informal learning and experience.

See also Advanced practice

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, where such

Activity: The execution of a task or action by an individual.

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is considered by them to benefit the public and the profession by promoting high standards of

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’.

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. In line with the WCPT policy statement on advanced physical therapy practice, practice specialisation needs to be distinguished from

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

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. While physical therapists who are advanced practitioners are normally specialists; specialist physical therapists may not be advanced practitioners. 

To help implement this policy, we have produced the WCPT guideline for physical therapist practice specialisation.