The Taskforce was established October 2010

The proposal is to develop a network of physiotherapists in palliative care throughout Europe, and internationally.

Building on strong links made at the EAPC Conference in Vienna 2009, a working group plans to bring together expertise from around the world to raise the profile of physiotherapy in palliative care through identifying clinical best practice and service innovation.

The encouragement of debate and discussion on all aspects of treatment approaches will hopefully lay the foundation for contributing to the collaborative development of a more coordinated curriculum delivery in physiotherapy training institutions.

Working towards defining a ‘global’ definition of physiotherapy in palliative care.

1. Defining and describing the role of physiotherapists in Palliative Care
2. Developing and organizing international education and training for physiotherapists in Palliative Care
3. Setting up an international Specialist Interest Group (SIG) with supporting website
4. Encouraging debate on curriculum standardisation

As a result of the ongoing discussion, the following tasks are to be discussed in future:

Regarding the EAPC “A – B – C – model for education and training” a comparable framework for physiotherapists is to be developed:

Level A: to describe and recommend the minimum PC content within the undergraduate physiotherapy training
Level B: to describe and recommend the minimum PC content for postgraduate education and training for physiotherapists who deliver physiotherapy for patients / careers within the palliative care setting
Level C: To describe and recommend the education and training and role of a specialist in Physiotherapy in PC (including research and teaching)

Project Team: Jacob van den Broek (coordinator), Peter Nieland & Rainer Simader.

For further discussion TF will provide a Norwegian model of education referring to the A-B-C model

As discussed and agreed by all task force committee members “research” is missing in the above objectives. One objective can be co-coordinating physiotherapy research within the palliative care field.

Coordinator of this project is Ylva Dahlin

Following the discussion within the task force committee, it is of major importance to provide information about the role of physiotherapy in PC for both professionals within PC (including physiotherapists) and patients and their careers.

Suggests:
a.continue / begin research
b. write reports, opinions etc in non scientific journals / magazines

Ideas regarding the internet:
a. using and developing the existing EAPC website. Reports, information etc can be made available for physiotherapists and other professionals
b. blog / other internet tool for interactive communication and downloading

Members of the task force will continue to suggest concrete ideas.

To promote physiotherapy in PC it is important to define the role of this profession within this field.
It is likely that there are already various definitions of physiotherapy in PC all over Europe and beyond. As discussed in the task force committee meeting it is useful to find out which definitions have already been in use and then – as a second step – recommend one official definition.

Coordinator of this project: Nora Ferdinandy

For future education, training, recommendations and public relations a long term goal is to produce guidelines for physiotherapy in PC. As there might already be some guidelines these should be found and analyzed.

Coordinator of this project: Tone – Lise Frantzen

13th Congress of EAPC in Prague, sent an application to the conference organizers for physiotherapy sessions in the main programme:

- Workshop
- Meet the expert
- Room for task force meeting

Coordination Jacob van den Broek

An additional future objective of the physiotherapy task force is to attain one seat on the EAPC board.

- presentation on the 13th congress of EAPC Praque (Rainer Simader,  Peter Nieland & Jacob van den Broek