Ensuring Equitable Access to Physiotherapy: Current Conditions and Possible Strategies - Panel

Course Information

Reductions in publicly funded physiotherapy services may contribute to access and health inequities. We present the demographics of individuals accessing private physiotherapy services and describe the availability of low- or no-cost physiotherapy services in the same urban setting.

We then summarize organizational strategies to improve access identified through a scoping review.

Discussion of access issues and strategies follows.

This session was recorded at the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) Congress 2021

Speakers

Dr. Joanne Parsons is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of Manitoba. Through her clinical career, Dr. Parsons has worked with many sports teams and at events as a therapist, including the Maccabi Games in Israel. Her PhD, completed at the University of Manitoba and funded by a CIHR Doctoral Research Award, focused on risk factors and prevention of anterior cruciate ligament injury in young female athletes. Her current research program looks at the use of resistance training activities to maximize health and performance, as well as decrease injury risk, across diverse populations. She is also involved with a group of like-minded colleagues who are investigating the effects of changes to publicly funded physiotherapy services on health and access inequities.

Dr Patricia Thille, PhD, BSc(PT), is a sociologist and physiotherapist, who works as an Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Thille applies critical social scientific theories and a range of qualitative methodologies in her health services and health professions education research. Her work focuses on stigmatization, health behaviour change, and chronic disease management in primary care and rehabilitation settings.

Tory Crawford is a physiotherapist and MSc student at the University of Manitoba's College of Rehabilitation Sciences. As a physiotherapist who has worked extensively in public and private practice, Tory began a master's degree in her mid-career with hopes of researching factors that enable people to access rehabilitation services. Tory's research interests include health services research, primary care, and equitable access to outpatient rehabilitation. In conjunction with her MSc, Tory is currently completing an academic fellowship in health services research through the University of Manitoba's Department of Community Health Sciences.

Dr. Sandra Webber is a physical therapist and researcher in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba. In her research, she frequently uses technology to provide objective measures of activity performance (what people do in their everyday lives in terms of physical activity and sedentary behaviour). She is also interested in studying educational issues relevant to physical therapy to ensure that future clinicians are able to meet the needs of the populations they serve.

Access to this recording will be FREE for anyone who has registered for CPA Congress 2021, Day 3.

Check your emails for the coupon code. If you have not received this contact pd@physiotherapy.ca