The Physiotherapy Board has reviewed a number of processes that physiotherapists undertake to achieve registration as a Physiotherapy Specialist. The Board received 578 responses following consultation with practitioners and the wider health community during March and April 2016. The areas consulted on included:
- The Areas of Specialisation
- The Physiotherapy Specialist Competencies
- The Application Requirements
- The Assessment Process
- Specialist Recertification
Details about the consultation and changes are covered in the Board’s decision document. Two significant alterations to the scope are an increased emphasis on clinical expertise, as evidenced by the inclusion of a practical clinical component in the assessment process (weighted at 50% of the overall assessment) and the expansion of areas of specialisation to cover a broader range of disciplines:
- Cardiorespiratory
- Continence and Women’s Health
- Hand Therapy
- Musculoskeletal
- Neurology
- Occupational Health
- Older adults
- Paediatrics
- Pain
- Sports
- The Board can also use its discretion on a case by case basis if an applicant wants to apply to be a physiotherapy specialist in an area that is not on this list.
For more information please read the Board’s decision document, which explains the changes in full.