SPECIAL INTEREST REPORT POSTER DISPLAY

SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY – DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATION PLAN FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS WITH SPECIALIZATION IN MIND. Andersen B¹, Bechtold V²; ¹UC Oresund, Faculty of Physiotherapy, Copenhagen, Denmark. ²Knowledge Centre of Rehabilitation and Physical Activity, UC South Fyn, Denmark

PURPOSE: The National Danish Physiotherapy Organisation is building up different specialities in the areas of practice. The Danish sports Physiotherapy Organisation therefore wishes to develop and specifically gear the supplementary education to this specialization RELEVANCE: This education complies with the membership and the demands of the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapists (IFSP). The sports physiotherapists in Denmark will after the education be able to recognize and deal with prevention of sports injuries, diagnosing of overload and overuse injuries and the whole treatment and rehabilitation period. Furthermore the underlining of the important multi-disciplinary co-operation is a main subject in the education. DESCRIPTION: The supplementary education is divided into two parts – A and B. Part A has to be completed before part B. Part A is starting out with an introduction to all the following courses. The introduction has as its purpose to broaden out the understanding of prevention, epidemiology and aetiology of sports injuries and the special research and evidence concerning these topics. Furthermore the students get an understanding of tissues characteristics and reactions and biomechanical analysis methods. After the introduction course the students have to complete 5 courses: foot/ankle, knee, hip/groin, shoulder and elbow/hand. The 5 courses as their major purpose teach the students to make use of focused examinations, treatments and preventions strategies. After part A there is a qualifying examination. Part B is divided into different courses with special topics such as exercise physiology, strength training, screening, exercise, sports psychology, coaching, disability sports, sport and injuries amongst children and doping and anti-doping. Part B as well is ending up with a qualifying examination. EVALUATION: The National Danish Physiotherapy Organisation has asked the Danish Sports Physiotherapy Organisation to devise a description of sports physiotherapy as a specialism in order later to develop into a Master degree in Sports Physiotherapy at a Danish university as a vision of the future. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to involve special interest groups in development of a new curriculum of educations in special areas of physiotherapy practice. This is truly a good co-operation and in that way a path of sharing knowledge and competences. IMPLICATIONS: The Danish Sports Physiotherapy Organisation is by this education on its way to comply with the objective of the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapists which is to promote and facilitate access to post graduate education and to provide common structures for the assessment and recognition of formal and non-formal learning. In this way the globalization and the co-operation across borders are getting easier. KEYWORDS: education, sports physiotherapy, specialization. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The Danish Sports Physiotherapy Organisation. CONTACT: bean@kbhfys.dk,vbe@cvsu.dk