The President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists Order, António Lopes, was present at the presentation and launch of the book "A Compendium of Interventions for the Noninvasive Management of Ventilatory Pump Failure", a compendium of non-invasive ventilatory strategies for severe respiratory patients, by Rutgers University (USA) professor, John Bach, considered a "living legend" of respiratory medicine, co-authored with Professor Miguel Gonçalves, from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). Part of the work, of about 700 pages distributed by 38 chapters, is dedicated to Respiratory Physiotherapy, area of expertise of Miguel Gonçalves, who is also a member of the General Council of the Order of Physiotherapists. The launching ceremony took place on July 1st, at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, and was attended by several physiotherapists.
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Meeting of the Portuguese Physioterapists Order with SOCIFIN Portugal
President of the Order of Physiotherapists participated in the discussion of the Strategic Plan of the Santa Maria School of Health
The President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists Order, António Lopes, was invited to participate in the discussion of the Strategic Plan of the Santa Maria School of Health (ESSSM) for the years 2023-2027, which took place on June 4, at Colégio Luso-Francês, in Porto, with the presence of the Board of Directors, Teachers, Staff, Students and ESSSM Partners.
With a reflection focused on the historical path and the future of physiotherapy, the President of the Portuguese Association of Physical Therapists presented the integrated and integrative perspective of the work that the Association is doing in the context of the development and affirmation of the profession. António Lopes pointed out that there are three main driving forces for the development of the profession: a pole centred on the regulatory (legislative) framework and the planning of human resources in the health area; a pole centred on the production and preparation of the necessary human resources and a third which employs the existing human resources. He stressed that even though each pole has different actors, decision-makers and dynamics of its own, the three influence each other and a change in one pole can have an impact on the others.
From this reflection result the three pillars that guide the mandate of the current Board of the Order of Physiotherapists:
- Physiotherapy, as a scientific discipline (the hub of basic and specialised teaching and research);
- Physiotherapy as a regulated profession (pole of the regulatory framework - where self-regulation has now been added, and the redefinition of the professional profile, the creation of the code of ethics and technical standards;
- Physiotherapy as a service provision (pole of employment and use of physiotherapists, in the diversity of sectors and contexts).
In this context, the President took the opportunity to underline the importance of a joint and regular work between Higher Education Institutions and the Order of Physiotherapists, in order to enhance the gains that the regulation pole, on the part of the Order, may have in education and in the effective provision of physiotherapy services.
13th General Assembly of the "World Physiotherapy Europe Region".
The President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists Order, António Lopes, was present, as an observer, in the 13th General Assembly of the "World Physiotherapy Europe Region", that took place in Prague, Czech Republic, on the 19th and 20th May. The participation of António Lopes, who has already been chairman of this organization between 1998 and 2010, allowed him to learn about the work in progress and the priorities for the next two years of activity, which the Order will integrate when it assumes the affiliation. It should be remembered that the Order of Physiotherapists has already presented its candidacy to the World Physiotherapy, with effect from January 2023.
Among World Physiotherapy's ongoing projects, the highlights are the programme related to the dissemination of the importance of physiotherapy in the prevention and rehabilitation of oncological conditions, integrated in the European plan entitled "EU Commission Beating Cancer Plan", and "InAbled Cities: Developing Inclusive urban environments for physical activity for people with disabilities and senior citizens", a programme that aims to promote physical activity in urban environments for people with disabilities and/or over 65 years old.
At the 13th General Assembly of the "World Physiotherapy Europe Region", issues related to the support and development of research in physiotherapy and the definition of the minimum competences that should be demanded in the initial training for access to the exercise of the profession were also addressed.
Through the participation in this regional organization of the World Physiotherapy, the Portuguese Physiotherapists Order intends to maintain a close relationship and interaction with the representative organizations of the 37 countries that integrate it.
To find out more about the World Physiotherapy Europe Region visit - https://www.erwcpt.eu/
Meeting of the Portuguese Order of Physiotherapists with the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists
The Board of the Order of Physiotherapists (OF) met with the new National Directive Council of the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists (APFISIO).
The meeting, which took place on 10 May, was attended by the President of the Portuguese Bar Association, António Lopes, Pedro Rebelo and Afonso Neutel, and the President Maria João Bigode and the Vice-President Sérgio Neto, representing the Association.
Greetings were presented to the new elected social bodies of APFISIO and the most relevant issues of the institutional relationship between the Order and the Association were analysed, under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2020, in which it was agreed to establish the progressive and necessary conditions so that, as soon as possible, the Order of Physiotherapists will have a seat, by affiliation, at the World Physiotherapy.
In this context, the Order, as the structure that regulates physiotherapy and physiotherapists in Portugal, informed that it would formalise its candidacy to the World Physiotherapy (WP), with effect from January 2023, and APFISIO naturally recognised this candidacy.
In order not to suddenly interrupt the work that has been developed by the APFISIO Interest Groups, which would automatically lose international representation in the WP, the Portuguese Physioterapists Association has guaranteed that it will ensure the endorsement of all the groups, on a transitional basis, until the Order's own representative structures are in a position to assume membership of the international organisation.
The model of endorsement will be opportunely analysed by the Order with each Interest Group individually and with the National Directive Council of APFisio, according to the characteristics and needs of each one.
The Ordem dos Fisioterapeutas and the Associação Portuguesa de Fisioterapeutas also agreed to hold regular meetings to clarify their respective roles in pursuing the objectives of developing physiotherapy in Portugal and increasing literacy as an important step in affirming the profession.
Meeting with the Portuguese Association for Private Higher Education
The Board of the Portuguese Order of Physiotherapists met with the Portuguese Association for Private Higher Education on 9th May, in order to collaborate strategically with the Higher Education Institutions with training in Physiotherapy, respecting their pedagogical and scientific autonomy.
As such, at this meeting they were:
- Presented greetings and availability for collaboration with both APESP and the individual HEIs,
- Brief presentation of the Plan of Activities of the Order of Physiotherapists;
- The various possible inter-institutional forms of collaboration are envisaged, namely also with regard to pre-graduate, Master's and Doctoral training.
Setúbal Polytechnic Institute - Inauguration
The President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists Order, António Lopes, was present at the inauguration ceremony of the President of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Professor Ângela Lemos.
The ceremony took place on 27th April, at the Noble Auditorium of the building of the School of Business Sciences/School of Health of the IPS, where also took place the inauguration of the President of the Coordinating Council of Higher Polytechnic Institutes (CCISP), Maria José Fernandes.
ENEFFt 2022, Ordem dos Fisioterapeutas was present
The Board of the Order of Physiotherapists attended the National Meeting of Physiotherapy Students (ENEFt) that took place between 8 and 12 April 2022. The participation of the Order was attended by the President, Professor António Lopes and the Board members, Physiotherapists Afonso Neutel Pedro Rebelo.
On 9 April, the Portuguese Order was present at the Opening Table and held a working meeting with the National Association of Young People in Physiotherapy (ANJF), in which the main priorities for the development of physiotherapy in Portugal were discussed and the main concerns of young people in physiotherapy were heard. The Board of the Order and the ANJF intend to hold regular meetings in order to promote the collaborative development of physiotherapy in Portugal. In this meeting, Professor António Lopes and physiotherapist Afonso Neutel were present on behalf of the Order. The President Teresa Miguel, the treasurer Sofia Tavares and the members Ana Rosa Coelho, Beatriz Silva and Constança Carreira were present on behalf of ANJF.
On the 11th April the Order was present in the Fisiomeeting with the topic "What changes with the Order", in which the physiotherapist Pedro Rebelo had the opportunity to approach the topic, having taken place in a very proactive and enriching way, in a question and answer format, allowing an important and clarifying message to be passed about the role of the Order.
Respiratory Rehabilitation Day
The celebration of Respiratory Rehabilitation Day began on 21 April 2016, on the initiative of the Portuguese Lung Foundation and endorsed by 12 other entities (medical societies and associations of health professionals and respiratory patients), including the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists.
The aim of this initiative is to raise awareness among health policy-makers, health funding bodies, health professionals, respiratory patients and their families and society in general that Respiratory Rehabilitation (RR) is an intervention with proven benefits for health in its physical, psychological and social dimensions, It is estimated that only around 2-3% of patients who need it, have access to rehabilitation programmes adjusted to their needs, a situation that worsened greatly during the pandemic of COVID-19 and continues.
Respiratory physiotherapy (a component of the cardiorespiratory physiotherapy area) refers to the intervention of the physiotherapist in respiratory conditions, with disease or at risk of developing it, thus providing care within the scope of prevention, treatment, habilitation and rehabilitation.
Respiratory physiotherapy and the professional who carries it out, the physiotherapist, are fundamental elements that contribute to the improvement of the health condition of the respiratory patient (acute or chronic), whether integrated in multi-interdisciplinary RR teams or in a more direct practice context not framed in the concept of Respiratory Rehabilitation. We also highlight the enormous contribution that physiotherapists, at a national and international level, have given to the increase of knowledge, evidence and implementation of Respiratory Rehabilitation, including new practice models (telerehabilitation, home-based and web-based).