October 2009

A WCPT two-day workshop on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was held in Daejoon, Korea earlier this month.  Thirty participants engaged enthusiastically with Nenad Kostanjsek, WHO technical officer for ICF, and Catherine Sykes, WCPT professional policy consultant.  The course looked at how the classification can be used in support of physical therapy practice and the representation of health and disability in national health information systems.  As a result of the workshop an ICF working group was established.

ICF education is just one of the WCPT courses available, for further information please go to the Education section of the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/node/27531#wcpt or contact csykes@wcpt.org.

The World Health Organization has just published Issue 3 of the Global Health Workforce (GHWA) Newsletter. To download a copy and to find out more about the work of the Alliance please go to the Global Health section of the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/node/29151#GHWA. 

GHWA was created in 2006 to address the chronic critical shortage of health workers worldwide. The Alliance is a partnership of national governments, civil society, international agencies, finance institutions, researchers, educators and professional associations dedicated to identifying, implementing and advocating for solutions, including the Positive Practice Environments campaign.

Early Bird registration
The first registration deadline for the World Health Professions’ Conference on Regulation 2010 is 1st November, so don't miss the opportunity to register with the Early Bird fee and save €100. For more information and to register please go to http://www.eventure-online.com/eventure/welcome.do?type=participant&congress=49_1001

Regulation survey: participate now
In preparation for this exciting conference, a global survey on Health Professions Regulation has been developed and recently launched. Every participant (and interested person) is invited to complete the survey at http://whpcr2010.questionpro.com (please forward the link to all who may be interested). The results of the survey will be presented at the Conference.

For further details on the Regulation Conference, including the programme, please go to www.whpa.org/whpcr2010/.

The United Nations has just launched its theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Making the Millennium Development Goals Inclusive: empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world.

The day is observed on 3rd December and aims to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.

For further information about the day and suggestions on how it may be observed please go to http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1484.

Planning for WCPT's forthcoming congress, World Physical Therapy 2011, is now well underway.  Submissions for the call for focused symposia (closing at the end October) will help to inform the structure of the scientific programme.

The call for the satellite programme will be issued on 2nd November, with the main call for abstracts to be issued in January 2010.  Full details will be give in November's issue of Congress update and will be available on the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/congress/programme.

Physio First, the physical therapists' private practice association in the UK, has recently launched a competition for free places at their 2010 conference, Cervical spine: the journey from research to clinical practice, to be held 24-25 April in Nottingham, UK.  This international competition is open to all physical therapists who qualified since June 2008 with the 10 winners awarded attendance for one day of the conference.

To apply and for further information please go to www.physiofirst.org.uk/ppef/news.htm or email gina.swift@physiofirst.org.uk.

Patient satisfaction with outpatient physical therapy - an international team of researchers, led by Roger Nelson from the USA, are undertaking research to assess the international validity and cultural sensitivity of a patient satisfaction instrument. They are keen to recruit more international sites and would like any WCPT member organisations who would be interested in helping to promote this opportunity to please contact Roger@medrisknet.com.