CONTINUING-EDUCATION IN PHYSIOTHERAPY

Many professions participate in various forms of in-service training a nd education, often Known as professional development. The physiothera py profession is no exception and recently the Chartered Society of Ph ysiotherapy launched the initiative Physiotherapy Access to Continuing Education. The focus of this report was to identify the possible invo lvement of the Institution of Higher Education. The research also atte mpts to identify attitudes towards continuing professional education a nd any deterrents to such a commitment. The methodology used was quest ionnaire survey of a sample of practising physiotherapists and semi-st ructured interviews with service managers. The conclusions were that a ttitudes to continuing professional education within the profession ar e very positive, the major deterrent being a financial constraint from the manager's point of view. Recommendations are made for the support ing role of the Institution of Higher Education in supporting continui ng education in the physiotherapy profession.