Quality Assurance of Physiotherapy Practice and Education in Europe

European Physiotherapy Benchmark Statement The benchmark statement describes profession-specific statements for Physiotherapy and illustrates the shared context upon which the education and training of health care professionals rests. The benchmark statements in the document are presented under the following sections:

• Nature and extent of physiotherapy.
• Teaching learning and assessment.
• Academic and practitioner standards.
• Framework common to physiotherapy and other health professions.

European Core Standards of Physiotherapy Practice The European Core Standards is a tool that enables to evaluate and promote high standards for the practice of physiotherapy. The statements about quality are broken down into criteria, which describe how the standards will be achieved. The criteria are measurable so that patients, physiotherapists and others can determine the quality of the interaction. The tool includes a patient record audit, a continuing professional development audit, guidance on a peer review process, a patient feedback questionnaire and audit tool for service standards. European Physiotherapy Service Standards These service standards describe parts of the physiotherapy service in order to maintain the safety and quality of services for patients, and an environment conducive to the safety of staff, and their continuing development in the public and private sectors.

• The standards provide a benchmark against which the service can be measured.
• They provide a framework for an organisation to review and improve its service provision.

Audit Tool for use with European Core Standards of Physiotherapy Practice Clinical audit is the systematic and critical analysis of the quality of clinical care including diagnostic and treatment procedures, associated use of resources and outcomes and quality of life for the patient. Together, the four following audit tools will allow you to carry out a comprehensive audit of the core practice standards:

1. Core standards patient record audit
2. Core standards continuing professional development / life long learning (CPD/LLL) audit
3. Core standards peer review
4. Patient feedback audit Physiotherapy

Framework for Clinical Guideline Development in Physiotherapy Guidelines are systematically developed statements designed to help practitioners and patients to make decisions about appropriate health care for specific conditions. Guidelines contribute to reduce differences in Physiotherapy treatment and enhance uniformity in the profession; to show the tasks and responsibilities of the profession; and to stimulate collaboration with other health care professions. This framework for clinical guideline development is written to create a common basis for the development of guidelines in Physiotherapy. Migration Policy Statement Policy to pursue and fulfil the free migration for physiotherapists within the European Region. According to the regulations of the EU the objective of free migration within the European Union is to ensure mobility of physiotherapists. This means \" the elimination of any discrimination based on nationality as regards employment, remuneration and other working conditions, access to accommodation and the worker\'s right to be joined by her/his family. Health Policy Statement The EU Commission has adopted policies to promote and improve standards of Public Health in the interest of the European Union. It is intended to establish incentive measures to protect and improve human health, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States. The Health Policy Statement deals with the role of physiotherapists in health care, the physiotherapist’ s role in the provision of services, prevention and health promotion, and the accessibility to and quality of physiotherapy services. Education Policy Statement The purpose of this statement is to provide information to physiotherapists, educators, the appropriate authorities and institutions within the European Union on the principles that underpin programmes of physiotherapy education. These principles cover undergraduate education and the continuum of life-long learning opportunities including higher degrees. The Education Policy Statement advocates quality assurance mechanisms, highlights the need for transparent pathways and equity in access to physiotherapy education programmes at all levels and promotes the International standing of Physiotherapy Education in Europe. You can download the entire content of all documents (PDF) for print out in the ER-WCPT homepage: www.physio-europe.org European Region of WCPT Secretariat Rue de Pascale, 16 B -1040 Brussels BELGIUM Tel.: +32 2 2315063 Fax: +32 2 2315064 e-mail: info@physio-europe.org www.physio-europe.org