Order of Physiotherapists received at the Ministry of Health

The Order of Physiotherapists was received this Monday at the Ministry of Health for a meeting convened by the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, with the agenda "Contributions to Health Policy".

With a view to better healthcare provision, one of the issues addressed was referral, namely "the possibility of referral to physiotherapy by any doctor, particularly in terms of the possibility of intervention not only in the area of rehabilitation, but also in the area of primary healthcare and from health promotion to disease prevention".

The meeting was also an opportunity to address the need to integrate more physiotherapists into the National Health Service (SNS), with reference to the Eurostat report that points to a European average of 136.7 physiotherapists per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021: "Portugal is just above 110 [physiotherapists per 100,000 inhabitants], but in the National Health Service we are far below, there are only around 1,500 physiotherapists in the SNS.There are only around 1,500 physiotherapists in the National Health Service, while there are 12,000 registered with the Order and around 1,000 more physiotherapists are trained every year," said the President, also speaking to journalists.

At the meeting, where he was accompanied by the 1st Vice-President of the Board, Nuno Cordeiro, and by Olímpio Pereira from the General Council of the Order of Physiotherapists, António Lopes also highlighted the "great willingness" of the government's health team to engage in dialogue and to listen to the prospect of "developing mechanisms to improve access to physiotherapy care" for users, and "especially in critical periods, as soon as possible, when people can effectively enjoy more of the benefits of physiotherapists' intervention".

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

28 April is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The date, instituted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), addresses a theme related to safety and health at work, with this year's theme being "impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health".  

With this theme, the ILO aims to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change in the world of work, especially in terms of workers' health and safety. These changes in climatic patterns include increasingly frequent occurrences of extreme weather events, which can accentuate the impacts of climate change. exposure to occupational riskssuch as heat stress, a UV radiation, a air pollution, serious industrial accidents, increase in vector-borne diseases e increase in exposure to chemical products. 

The role of physiotherapists in promoting a culture of safety and health 

As a health professional physiotherapist has an important contribution to make to the objective of promoting health and safety culture in the labour marketHe has advanced clinical knowledge and skills to support and achieve healthy workers and workplaces, as part of a multidisciplinary team.  

Differentiated competences should be centred on the relationship between health and work, particularly in terms of clinical practice; education and training of their peers in the area of intervention as well as team leadership. 

Yours interventionIn this context, it may include: 

Assessment and intervention in terms of organisational risks, integrating workers into the workplace and promoting healthy habits.  

See also two films from the "Napo" series chosen by Thematic Working Group (WG) on Physiotherapy in Occupational Health and Ergonomicsabout on suitable positions to adopt in the workplace. 

Public Consultation - Proposal for the Electoral Regulations of the Order of Physiotherapists

The Order of Physiotherapists informs that Notice | 8712/2024/2, regarding the public consultation of the draft Electoral Regulations of the Order of Physiotherapists, has been published in Diário da República. here.

Responses to the Public Consultation

All members of the Order of Physiotherapists with current registration are interested. Please fill in the form to send your comments, which will automatically be sent to the following email address: consultapublica@ordemdosfisioterapeutas.pt, with the subject "Response to the Public Consultation on the Proposal for Electoral Regulations".

Only contributions sent to the Order of Physiotherapists by 11 June 2024 will be considered.

Order of Physiotherapists offers advice to pilgrims

The Order of Physiotherapists has some advice for pilgrims who will be walking to Fátima next May.

Even before travelling, it is recommended to prepare by exercising daily, walking short distances, progressively increasing, monitoring your heart rate, etc.

It is also advisable to choose clothing and footwear suitable for the weather conditions.

During the journey to Fatima, sprains, tendonitis and minor muscle tears are the most common injuries. Find out how to prepare for the journey and what you can do in the event of an injury at information leaflet with the recommendations prepared by the Working Group on Physiotherapy in the context of emergencies, disasters and humanitarian action of the Order of Physiotherapists.

1TP5Pilgrims 1TP5Physiotherapy 1TP5Fatima 1TP5Order of physiotherapists

Contribution to a health policy

Taking into account the responsibilities of the Health Professional Organisations in improving the current context of Human, Animal and Environmental Health, and as a result of joint reflection based on a shared vision and a consensus of "One Health", on the occasion of World Health Day, they decided to jointly present a "contribution to a health policy" for consideration by the government, which you can read here:  https://bit.ly/OF_contributo_politica_saude .

Through the movement, we promote more (+) Health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that regular physical activity prevents and treats non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. Physical activity also helps prevent hypertension and obesity and can improve mental health, quality of life and well-being.  

As movement and exercise health professionals with experience and knowledge of risk factors, pathologies and their effects, physiotherapists are at the forefront of promoting, guiding, prescribing and managing physical activity and exercise appropriate for each person. Physiotherapists play a vital role in conducting safe and effective physical activity, intervening at all stages of life and in various health conditions. 

The role of the physiotherapist in promoting physical activity and better health

As part of World Physical Activity Day and World Health Day, which take place on 6 and 7 April respectively, the Order of Physiotherapists highlights the role of physiotherapists in promoting physical activity and its benefits for the health of all of us and shares some ideas to bear in mind, associating itself with the "WHO Recommendations for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour", which can be consulted here.

Download the information leaflets.

The Order of Physiotherapists recalls that "THROUGH MOVEMENT, WE PROMOTE BETTER HEALTH".

Join the hashtag #movimentomaissaúde 

Pedro Maciel Barbosa

Specialist physiotherapist at the Matosinhos Local Health Unit Sub-coordinator for Primary Health Care, Matosinhos Local Health Unit Visiting Assistant Professor at the Porto School of Health Member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Health - SNS Member of the General Council of the Order of Physiotherapists

Carlos Sand

Carlos Areia has been a physiotherapist since 2013, and has worked in various hospitals, clinics and clubs in both Portugal and the UK. He began his academic career at Oxford University in 2016, where he led a clinical trial comparing physiotherapy vs surgery in anterior cruciate injuries in 32 hospitals in England. In 2018 she moved to the neurosciences department, where she developed her own studies on remote monitoring of vital signs, which were implemented during the pandemic. Here he discovered his passion for data, and in 2022, he joined Digital Science as a Data Scientist. He completed his PhD earlier this year, and has more than 60 publications in journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, Cochrane, among others. He is also an honorary lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and a consultant in clinical research.

Eduardo José Brazete Carvalho Cruz

PhD in Physiotherapy from the University of Brighton, UK. Post-Doctorate in Epidemiology from the National School of Public Health at the New University of Lisbon.
Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Office of the Order of Physiotherapists. Coordinating Professor of the Physiotherapy Department of the School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (ESS-IPS). President of the ESS-IPS Technical-Scientific Council. Coordinator of the Physiotherapy Department at ESS-IPS. Integrated Researcher at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) (a partnership between FCM-UNL, the National School of Public Health, the University of Évora, the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health and Santo Espírito Hospital, Terceira Island, Azores).

Sara Souto Miranda

Sara Souto Miranda has a bachelor's and master's degree in physiotherapy from the University of Aveiro, and a postgraduate qualification in adult respiratory physiotherapy from the same institution. In 2023 she completed her double doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences/Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at the Universities of Aveiro and Maastricht (Netherlands) and is currently working as a technical-scientific advisor to the Studies and Planning Office (GEP) of the Order of Physiotherapists, and as a guest lecturer at the Piaget Institute in Vila Nova de Gaia. As a member of the Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Aveiro (Lab3R), she has carried out applied research in which she has assessed and treated patients with respiratory pathology, having taken part in 6 research projects. Throughout her career she has published 19 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals with an impact factor, 1 book chapter and more than 50 abstracts in conference proceedings. She was a research volunteer at the Ciro rehabilitation centre (Centre for expertise in chronic organ failure) in the Netherlands, and is currently a member of the Guideline Methodology Network of European Respiratory Society. She was honoured by European Lung Foundation e European Respiratory Society for carrying out patient-centred research, by the Directorate General for Higher Education with a merit grant for his master's degree, and by the Ciro Centre with a grant to support research abroad.

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