RAHPC - Professions
Physical Therapy Practitioners
Published: Aug 13, 2024 6:39 AM
Physiotherapy also known as Physical Therapy is the branch of medical/health science specifically with a general role of promoting health and the prevention of health related problems by means of education and promoting self-care of individuals and communities. This can extend to advising and teaching associated careers and healthcare professionals in order to provide a coherent approach, which maximizes the individual’s independence.
Physiotherapy is a primary care, autonomous, client-focused health profession dedicated to improving quality of life by:
Promoting optimal mobility, physical activity and overall health and wellness; Preventing disease, injury, and disability; Managing acute and chronic conditions, activity limitations, and participation restrictions; Improving and maintaining optimal functional independence and physical performance; Rehabilitating injury and the effects of disease or disability with therapeutic exercise programs and other interventions; and Educating and planning maintenance and support programs to prevent re-occurrence, re-injury or functional decline.
Physiotherapy is anchored in movement sciences and aims to enhance or restore function of multiple body systems. The profession is committed to health, lifestyle and quality of life. This holistic approach incorporates a broad range of physical and physiological therapeutic interventions and aids.
Physiotherapy practitioners are involved in health-care at a primary, secondary and tertiary level and in community – based interventions.
A Physical Therapist may either work independently as a first-line practitioner or in association with a health care team to provide optimal services for patient rehabilitation and care. Only graduates from Physiotherapy programmes which are accredited and/or approved by the RAHPC are eligible to register as Physiotherapy practitioners without undertaking further education.
The Council’s Subject Benchmark guidelines describe the nature of study and the academic standards expected of graduates in specific module/subject areas, and in respect of particular qualifications. They provide a general picture of what graduates in a particular area might reasonably be expected to know, do and understand at the end of their programme of study.
Subject Benchmark Standards are used as reference points in the design, delivery and review of academic programmes. They provide general guidance for articulating the learning outcomes associated with the programme but are not intended to represent a national curriculum in a subject or to prescribe set approaches to teaching, learning or assessment. Instead, they allow for flexibility and innovation in programme design within a framework agreed by the subject community.
The following higher learning institution is accredited to offer training in physiotherapy sciences:
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences/ University of Rwanda