ABSTRACT
The authors review the most significant recent stages in developments concerning physiotherapy in France by assessing its current state. The strength of this profession is that it was reformed in 2015 under the European Agreements of the Bologna Process.With its mutations and achievements in connection with biological, medical, and clinical research progress, physiotherapy is continuing to broaden its fields of practice in order to attract future students. Nevertheless, this remains insufficient to stimulate an exercise in hospitals.Despite macro and micro-economic constraints leading to important repercussions, physiotherapists have been able to adapt to the new management of patients without altering the recognition they receive from patients.The new definition of the profession along with new training techniques should reaffirm their skills, which have not been very visible thus far.The educational reform must be considered as a starting point of a changing profession, whose fields of practice, despite constant expansion since 2016, have not yet interested the majority of professionals.
Subject(s)
Physical Therapists/supply & distribution , Physical Therapy Modalities/trends , France , Humans , Physical Therapists/trends , Physical Therapy Modalities/education , StudentsABSTRACT
The first direct access initiatives were conducted in 1976 and many English-speaking countries have followed this movement, which is designed to obviate a visit to the doctor for certain procedures, apart from diagnosis. Cooperative actions in this field are exceptional in France. Direct access must be distinguished from advanced practices in hospital in the fields of orthopaedics, musculoskeletal disorders, preoperative assessment and total hip and knee replacement. In hospital, men between the ages of 40 and 59 years have access to this type of consultation, with an excellent correlation between 86% and 100% compared to the physician's practice, opening the way to direct access. The apparently successful trajectory in Quebec and the opinion of the Swiss subjects interviewed reveal a very different trajectory. France occupies a special place in this field, as, although cooperative actions with physicians are encouraged, they are exceptional, despite a favourable territorial coverage. Strong points and weak points are considered, but it appears that this process is hampered by numerous obstacles and challenges. Chronic diseases are perfectly suitable for these exchanges of practices, as many other professionals are already active in this field. Delegations of responsibility and transfers of practices indicate a growing professional autonomy in the form of partial direct access.
