The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) affirms the right of Member Organisations to make national policies which permit practice specialisation, where such activity is considered by them to benefit the public and the profession by promoting higher standards of physical therapy.
Where national physical therapy associations have adopted practice specialisation WCPT wishes to harmonise and co-ordinate the development of practice specialisation by adopting the following definitions and guidelines:
- Physical therapy specialisation is the application of advanced clinical competence by a physical therapist qualified in a defined area within the scope of practice recognised as physical therapy.
- The qualification of a physical therapist specialist will include a formal process for testing and acknowledging the appropriate advanced clinical knowledge and skills of the speciality. It is expected that the formal process will be fully documented.
- Advanced clinical competence is the demonstration of knowledge and skills beyond those required for entry to basic professional practice.
- A physical therapist specialist can demonstrate advanced clinical competence in a physical therapy speciality by satisfying the requirements for the formal recognition of his/her knowledge and skills by a Member Organisation or its accredited agent.
- A physical therapy speciality is a prescribed area of physical therapy practice formally recognised by a Member Organisation within which it is possible for a physical therapist to develop and demonstrate higher levels of knowledge and skills. Specialisation is not to be considered or implied to mean a limitation or restriction of practice. The field of activity recognised as physical therapy will remain open to all appropriately qualified physical therapists both specialist and non-specialist practising within their respective levels of competence.
An appendix to WCPT Specialisation is available.
