[ISS-01-5] World Physical Therapy Challenge for the profession
Physical Therapy（PT）is an emerging profession for 21st century. Challenges facing the profession are education system, specialist training, and also competitiveness among health profession. Enhanced evidence-based education is necessary for our profession to gain strong reputation among fast growing inter-professional arena. Developing standard and guidelines for PT entry level curriculum in response to the changing research evidences could be an essential part of education reform. Post-graduate specialist training increases more opportunities for PTs to compete with other related health professions. Although skills in movement sciences have already been established as the core of our profession, integrations of advanced diagnosis techniques, neuroscience, and regenerative science are essential to achieve the movement goals. The outcomes of PT services must be measurable and perceived by our clients. This would lead to improvement in self referral and universal health coverage for PT services that are two main issues currently been explored in several countries. For example；in Thailand, self referral is legal, however, it is only currently practical for private PT clinics not for public hospitals. This is partly due to the limitations of inter-profession communication and also shortage of PT specialists in public hospitals. As for universal health coverage, basic and home care for PT services are covered. Extension of coverage to outsource PT services to private PT clinics has just been granted in a recent National Health Security bylaw. New regulations follow this bylaw will be a real challenge to construct a better and more extensive PT service system as part of the universal health coverage. Not only the expanding of PT services in Thailand but also in all ASEAN communities, the number of aged population is increasing, as a result, more skilled PTs are required. The Japanese Physical Therapy Association, as an association with the highest number of PT members, could share experience and knowledge with other ASEAN countries to increase both quantity and quality of PTs to serve the need of the region. Mobilization of PT students and practice in the region should be an agenda to explore further to improve the PT services in 21st century, English language, standard competency, and refine referral system are also needed to be discussed among countries in this region.