REVISION OF POLICIES, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Maria Eliza Ruiz, Maria Zenaida Abanilla, Cheryl Peralta, Raul Agustin, Delia Pabalan, Teresita Mendoza, John Cabilso

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Health Human Resource Challenges

• There is an increased demand for health workers globally and this requirement is met by developing countries (Alburo & Abella, 2002)

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Health Human Resource Challenges

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

813 1,204 1,596 1,987 2,379

Projected Number of Deployed Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists for 2006-2010

Source: Baseline Data 2000-2005, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

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Health Human Resource Challenges

• Estimated production patterns of physical therapists in 2004 is 1000 per year from 90 educational institutions offering B.S. Physical Therapy

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Health Human Resource Challenges

• Supply projections for physical therapists in the Philippines indicate an average surplus of 35,815 from 2005 to 2010 (Health Human Resource Master Plan, 2005)

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Health Human Resource Challenges

• Access to opportunities for global employment for physical therapists must be balanced with the need to respond to domestic requirements

A potential response to the human resource challenges facing Filipino physical therapists is the upgrade of their competencies

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Purposes of the Presentation

• Outline the challenges of human resource for physical therapy in the Philippines

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Purposes of the Presentation

• Discuss a policy initiative from a government agency toward developing globally competitive Filipino physical therapists who are also responsive to local health care needs

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Purposes of the Presentation

• Describe the process of formulating policies, standards and guidelines for physical therapy education

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Commission on Higher Education (CHED)• Established in May 18, 1994 through

Republic Act 7722 (Higher Education Act of 1994) 

• Governing body covering both public and private higher education institutions as well as degree-granting programs in all tertiary educational institutions in the Philippines

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Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

Some of its tasks: • Promote quality education• Ensure and protect academic

freedom for the continuing intellectual growth, the advancement of learning and research, the education of high level professionals

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CHED Technical Panel

• Assists the Commission in setting standards and in program and institution monitoring and evaluation.

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PROCESS OF REVISING THE POLICIES AND STANDARDS FOR PT EDUCATION

Zonal conference to review existing policies and standards

Workshop on core competencies

Survey to validate core competencies

Focus group discussion on roles and responsibilities of PTs

International benchmarking

Policy formulation

Public hearing

Approval from CHED Commission en banc

Orientation of higher education institutions

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SCOPE OF CHED Memorandum Order 24, series of 2006

• Objectives of the program

• Career options

• Competency standards

• Curriculum

• Program administration

• Faculty member• Faculty

development program

• Library• Facilities and

equipment• Admission and

retention

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Discussion

• Evaluation of these education standards is necessary in determining whether a physical therapist from one country has sufficiently similar qualifications as another physical therapist of a receiving country

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Discussion

• Roles of physical therapists identified are consistent with those acknowledged worldwide

• Course content and course specifications appear comparable with those of preferred countries of deployment of Filipino physical therapists.

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Discussion

• CHED is the appropriate body to initiate this policy action

• The process took five years to complete

• The revised policies and standards result from information validated with different stakeholders

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Discussion

• These revised policies and standards are envisioned to facilitate access to global employment opportunities, thereby addressing the issue of surplus locally.

• The revised policies and standards also ensure that Filipino physical therapists who would practice in the Philippines would be competent to do so

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Conclusions

• CHED is the appropriate body to initiate policy changes in education standards in the Philippines

• CMO 24, s. 2006 would hopefully be instrumental in providing the Philippines and the world with humane and scientifically competent physical therapists

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Conclusions

• Revision of the policies and standards of physical therapy education would address the challenges to human resource for physical therapy

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Recommendations

• Further research on facilitators and barriers to global mobility of physical therapists

• Collaborative effort toward addressing the projected surplus of physical therapists in the Philippines

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Maraming salamat!