A groundbreaking international collaboration among the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA), and the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) brought together thought leaders in physical therapy and policymakers October 22–24, in Washington, DC, to share their knowledge about access and practice issues facing the physical therapy profession.

The goal of the International Policy Summit on Direct Access and Advanced Scope of Practice in Physical Therapy is to advance the practice of physical therapy by exploring the current status of different nations and the emerging policies on direct access. The summit included presentations on practical implementation of advanced or emerging scope of practice from the perspective of practitioners, patients, member organizations, education providers and institutes, and regulatory bodies. Policy and leadership development as critical components of advocacy and advancement for the physical therapy profession was also discussed.

"We're honored to be hosting our colleagues from around the world at this inaugural event," says APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD, in a statement. "With the United States on the cusp of health care reform, the opportunity to bring world leaders together in our profession to present on recent policy changes to advance physical therapy in their respective countries is exciting and timely."

WCPT's President Marilyn Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, says, "The different experiences and perspectives of WCPT's 101 member organizations give strength to the international profession. This event is a tremendous opportunity to come together in a collegial, collaborative way to brainstorm, to create, and to be innovative as we look to the future together."

"CPA has been working very hard to ensure direct access to physiotherapy for all Canadians," says Alice Aiken, PT, PhD, president of CPA. "This will not only benefit individual patients but our health care system as a whole. By sharing our experiences and learning from our colleagues from other countries, we will strengthen the profession of physical therapy on a global level and ultimately help to improve the health care for people around the world."

For more information on the event, visit APTA's Web site.

[Source: APTA]