Abstract
Pelvic floor dysfunction has been described as “a silent epidemic,” affecting many people in the community yet under-recognized and insufficiently managed. There is evidence that pelvic floor physiotherapy can manage many of these disorders, however a competency framework to guide and inform pelvic floor physiotherapy training and practice is lacking. The assessment and management of the pelvic floor complex is not addressed as a core component of most entry-to-practice physiotherapy programs despite being within the scope of physiotherapy practice which is in contrast with the knowledge and skills that physiotherapists graduate with in core areas of clinical practice. This results in a registration-competency gap, and the need for post-graduation training to ensure clinicians are appropriately skilled to practice safely and effectively in this area. In addition, there are potential ethical and legal issues unique to this area of physiotherapy practice to be considered. We use a series of clinical scenarios to highlight the domains of knowledge, skills and communication required for practice in this area, based on our experience in Australia. We propose a framework for the future which defines competence in pelvic floor physiotherapy to provide clarity to clinicians about their clinical, ethical and legal obligations to the public, our referrers and third-party payers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1117-1130 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Physiotherapy Theory and Practice |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Dec 2019 |
Keywords
- Competency
- intimate examination
- pelvic floor
- physiotherapy practice
Cite this
}
An argument for competency-based training in pelvic floor physiotherapy practice. / Frawley, Helena C.; Neumann, Patricia; Delany, Clare.
In: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, Vol. 35, No. 12, 02.12.2019, p. 1117-1130.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - An argument for competency-based training in pelvic floor physiotherapy practice
AU - Frawley, Helena C.
AU - Neumann, Patricia
AU - Delany, Clare
PY - 2019/12/2
Y1 - 2019/12/2
N2 - Pelvic floor dysfunction has been described as “a silent epidemic,” affecting many people in the community yet under-recognized and insufficiently managed. There is evidence that pelvic floor physiotherapy can manage many of these disorders, however a competency framework to guide and inform pelvic floor physiotherapy training and practice is lacking. The assessment and management of the pelvic floor complex is not addressed as a core component of most entry-to-practice physiotherapy programs despite being within the scope of physiotherapy practice which is in contrast with the knowledge and skills that physiotherapists graduate with in core areas of clinical practice. This results in a registration-competency gap, and the need for post-graduation training to ensure clinicians are appropriately skilled to practice safely and effectively in this area. In addition, there are potential ethical and legal issues unique to this area of physiotherapy practice to be considered. We use a series of clinical scenarios to highlight the domains of knowledge, skills and communication required for practice in this area, based on our experience in Australia. We propose a framework for the future which defines competence in pelvic floor physiotherapy to provide clarity to clinicians about their clinical, ethical and legal obligations to the public, our referrers and third-party payers.
AB - Pelvic floor dysfunction has been described as “a silent epidemic,” affecting many people in the community yet under-recognized and insufficiently managed. There is evidence that pelvic floor physiotherapy can manage many of these disorders, however a competency framework to guide and inform pelvic floor physiotherapy training and practice is lacking. The assessment and management of the pelvic floor complex is not addressed as a core component of most entry-to-practice physiotherapy programs despite being within the scope of physiotherapy practice which is in contrast with the knowledge and skills that physiotherapists graduate with in core areas of clinical practice. This results in a registration-competency gap, and the need for post-graduation training to ensure clinicians are appropriately skilled to practice safely and effectively in this area. In addition, there are potential ethical and legal issues unique to this area of physiotherapy practice to be considered. We use a series of clinical scenarios to highlight the domains of knowledge, skills and communication required for practice in this area, based on our experience in Australia. We propose a framework for the future which defines competence in pelvic floor physiotherapy to provide clarity to clinicians about their clinical, ethical and legal obligations to the public, our referrers and third-party payers.
KW - Competency
KW - intimate examination
KW - pelvic floor
KW - physiotherapy practice
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046763922&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09593985.2018.1470706
DO - 10.1080/09593985.2018.1470706
M3 - Article
C2 - 29746185
AN - SCOPUS:85046763922
VL - 35
SP - 1117
EP - 1130
JO - Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
JF - Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
SN - 0959-3985
IS - 12
ER -