Advancing International Post-Professional Educational Standards: Learning from the IFOMPT Experience

Rushton A.¹, Rivett D.², Beeton K.³, Pool J.⁴, Sadi J.⁵

¹University of Birmingham, School of Health and Population Sciences, Birmingham, United Kingdom, ²The University of Newcastle, School of Health Sciences, Callaghan, Australia, ³University of Hertfordshire, School of Health and Emergency Professions, Hatfield, United Kingdom, ⁴University of Applied Sciences, Physical Therapy, Utrecht, Netherlands, ⁵University of Western Ontario, School of Physical Therapy, London, Canada

Learning objectives:

1. To critically evaluate the development of standards and processes of quality monitoring for advanced practice 2. To demonstrate how educational standards can be used to promote advanced skills in clinical reasoning, evidence based practice, and a biopsychosocial approach to clinical care 3. To evaluate the benefits of this model and its future potential as an example of good international educational practice 

Description:

The quality of physical therapy education has received increasing attention in recent years, and there is agreement that improving quality needs to focus on standards of learning and teaching, and the establishment of an effective framework within which these activities can occur. Educational standards were first defined by the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) in 1977 to inform post-qualification education in the specialised area of Orthopaedic Manipulative (OMT). Each country applying to gain member status of IFOMPT is required to demonstrate to the Standards Committee that its educational programmes meet the standards. The standards have developed considerably since their inception to meet the evolving needs of IFOMPT, reflecting the developing educational and clinical contexts in the musculoskeletal field. They are reviewed on a six yearly basis through a collaborative process with Member Organisations. The current standards (2008) employ a competency based framework in line with modern educational practice. The competencies provide a detailed description of the knowledge, skills and attributes expected of a competent OMT physical therapist in the contemporary healthcare environment. Assessed mentored clinical practice is a requirement of demonstrating achievement of the competencies. Operationalisation of the standards positively recognises differences in strengths and emphases in OMT programmes, and methods and delivery of education internationally. The competency framework permits the learning process to be flexible, innovative and responsive to the individual's learning needs. Such an approach recognises the resource, geographical, and other challenges in providing OMT education internationally, but ensures a consistency of competency across the member nations of IFOMPT, establishing a minimum standard. A key development in 2004 was the additional requirement for a process of three yearly international monitoring of Member Organisations of IFOMPT to ensure they are continuing to satisfy standards. Processes of quality assurance and control are evaluated by the Standards Committee to ensure and further develop quality of educational provision. International monitoring is conducted as a collaborative and constructive process, with the Standards Committee providing educational advice and assistance as required, especially for those countries less developed in OMT education.

The convenor will provide an evaluative overview of this quality process to establish the context, identifying the key issues that posed challenges to the implementation and monitoring of standards on an international basis.

Meeting standards in clinical reasoning skills, evidence based practice, and a biopsychosocial approach to practice has posed a significant challenge to countries less developed in OMT education, particularly those with post-professional educational programmes outside of the university context. Clinical reasoning skills, evidence based practice, and a biopsychosocial approach to practice are all explicitly stated in the standards and constitute a thread winding through most of the other standards. Strategies to promote the development of clinical reasoning skills and their assessment will be discussed. The recent development of clinical prediction rules in physiotherapy and their relationship to clinical reasoning is explored. Evidence based practice underpinned by an applied knowledge of research methodology is integral to the standards, and strategies for learning, teaching and assessment will be explored. Increasing understanding of the psychological and social aspects of musculoskeletal presentations has highlighted factors that require consideration during patient assessment and management processes. Strategies to promote integration of these psychosocial aspects into practice and their assessment will be discussed.

The standards and international monitoring processes have taken the Member Organisations of IFOMPT through a developmental process in educational provision, responding to the resource, geographical, and other challenges that each country faces.Insight into these processes from a Member Organisation's perspective will be explored at a time when the country moved post-professional education into the university environment.

The discussion will explore different experiences of developing and maintaining standards from the audience, and analyse the key issues identified by the audience from the evaluation of the IFOMPT processes.

Implications / Conclusions:

The standards and processes detailed in this presentation may be valuable as a recommended procedure/template for future international educational collaborations/documents. This will be evaluated following the discussion, and key take home messages will be identified.

Keywords:

Standards; Quality; Education

Funding acknowledgements:

IFOMPT have funded all aspects of development and implementation of the standards and processes.

Relevance to WCPT and expected audience:

The symposium will evaluate, using a range of evidence, the experiences of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT, the first subgroup of WCPT, formerly IFOMT) in defining and developing standards and educational practice within the advanced practice speciality of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy. Different perspectives will be used to inform the analysis enabling discussion of the key issues to evaluate the value of IFOMPT’s processes/framework as a template for other countries/subgroups.

Target audience:

Physical Therapists interested in developing and maintaining quality educational programmes and advanced clinical practice at a recognised international standard across a range of clinical specialities.

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