Protection of title The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) claims exclusivity to the professional names physical therapy and physiotherapy. It further asserts that the professional titles physical therapist and physiotherapist and all abbreviations referring to these titles (eg PT, FT, physio )1 are the sole preserve of persons who hold qualifications approved by WCPT s member organisations. The professional title and term used to describe the profession s practice varies and depends largely on the historical roots of the profession in the country of the WCPT member organisation. It is WCPT policy to use the term physical therapy or physical therapist to cover all these titles, but they may be replaced by WCPT member organisations in favour of those terms officially used by them and their members without any change being implied. WCPT believes in it is in the public interest to protect the professional names and titles as part of national legislation/regulation/recognition. 1, 2 This should ensure that qualified physical therapists always have the right to practise as physical therapists. WCPT calls on its member organisations to work with governments to enact legislation/regulation/recognition, where it does not already exist, to protect the public by limiting the use of these titles to appropriately qualified persons. Glossary Professional regulation is designed to protect the public interest by ensuring that physical therapists meet (and continue to meet) the standards or requirements for practice. The approach to regulation and the specific regulatory mechanisms vary by jurisdiction and are often provided by laws, regulations, directives or rules set by the regulatory authority. Professional regulation may also be overseen by the profession itself, this is referred to as self-regulation. 2 Regulated profession a profession that may only be practised by individuals who have been certified by the relevant regulatory authority as meeting the standards or requirements for the practice of that profession. 2 Approval, review and related policy information Date adopted: First adopted at the 13 th General Meeting of WCPT June 1995. Revised and re-adopted at the 16 th General Meeting of WCPT June 2007. Revised and approved at the 17 th General Meeting of WCPT June 2011. Revised and approved at the 18 th General Meeting of WCPT May 2015. 1 This includes any translations of physical therapy/physiotherapy and physical therapist/physiotherapist into languages other than English where they equate to the professional requirements to be recognised as such. For a list of professional titles in the countries of WCPT member organisations refer to the appendix.
Approval, review and related policy information Date for review: 2019 Related WCPT policies: WCPT policy statements: Description of physical therapy Regulation of the physical therapy profession Reciprocity mutual recognition WCPT guideline: Guideline for the development of a system of legislation/regulation/recognition of physical therapists References 1. World Confederation for Physical Therapy. WCPT guideline for the development of a system of legislation/regulation/recognition of physical therapists. London, UK: WCPT; 2011. www.wcpt.org/guidelines/regulation-legislation (Access date 22nd September 2011) 2. World Confederation for Physical Therapy. Policy statement: Regulation of the physical therapy profession. London, UK: WCPT; 2017. www.wcpt.org/policy/ps-regulation (Access date 10th March 2017) World Confederation for Physical Therapy 2017 Page 2 of 12
Appendix: Professional titles recognised in countries of WCPT member organisations: listed by country Country Afghanistan Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belgium Bermuda Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Cambodia Canada Chile Colombia Curacao Czech Republic Titles used Licenced kinesiologist physiatric Licenciado en kinesiologia y fysiatria Physiotherapeut / Physiotherapeutin Prefix Dr. and suffix PT Kinesitherapeut(e) Fisioterapia Ergotherapist Kinisiterapist Medical rehabilitation Physiothérapie/ Physiotherapie Kinesiologist Kinesiologo Fysiotherapie Fyzioterapeut Page 3 of 12
Country Denmark Ecuador Egypt Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Ghana Greece Guyana Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel Jamaica Japan Jordan Titles used Fysioterapeuter Physical therapy consultant Physical therapy practitioner Physical therapy specialist Füsioterapeut Erikoislääkintävoimistelija Fysioterapeutti Lääkintävoimistelija Masseur - Kinésitherapeute ostéopathe Masseur - Kinésitherapeute Réeducateur Masseur - Masseur-kinésithérapeute diplômé Physiotherapeftis Sjúkraþjálfari Fhisiteripe המטפל פיזית Registered physical therapist 理学療法士 Physiotherapy technician Page 4 of 12
Kenya Korea Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Malawi Malta Mauritius Mexico Montenegro Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan 물리치료 dipl. Physiotherapeut FH dipl. Physiotherapeut HF with diploma Kinesitherapist Kineziterapeutas Kinesitherapie/ Kinésithérapie Masseur-kinésithérapeute diplômé Fisioterapia 物理治療 Fizjoterapist Kinesitherapeut(e) Fisica y Rehabilitación Fisioterapia Terapia Física Fysiotherapeut Fysioterapi Page 5 of 12
Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Rwanda Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Kinesiología Registered physical therapist Fizioterapeuta Fisioterapeuta Fiziokineioterapeut Kineioterapeut Kinesitherapie/ Kinésithérapie Physiothérapie/ Physiotherapie الطب ي العلاج Fizioterapeut Fizioterapeutski tehnicar Visi fizioterapeut Diplomovany fyzioterapeut Diplomirani fizioterapevt (dipl. fiziot.) Legitimerad sjukgymnast Registered physical therapist Fisioterapista Physiotherapeut / Physiotherapeutin Physiothérapeute Page 6 of 12
Titles Taiwan Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe Country used 物理治療 Physiนะ พฟยรหะ น กกายภาพบ าบ ด Fizyoterapist Specialist of physical rehabilitation Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Licenced physical therapist Registered physical therapist Licenciate in physical therapy Licenciada Fisioterapeuta Technician in physical therapy Physiotherapy technologist Professional titles recognised in countries of WCPT member organisations: listed by title Titles dipl. Physiotherapeut FH dipl. Physiotherapeut HF Diplomirani fizioterapevt (dipl. fiziot.) Diplomovany fyzioterapeut Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Ergotherapist Erikoislääkintävoimistelija Fhisiteripe Fisica y Rehabilitación Fisioterapeuta Country using Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Slovenia Slovakia United States of America Bulgaria Finland Ireland Mexico Portugal Page 7 of 12
Titles Fisioterapia Fisioterapista Fiziokineioterapeut Fizioterapeut Fizioterapeuta Fizioterapeutski tehnicar Fizjoterapist Fizyoterapist Füsioterapeut Fysioterapeuter Fysioterapeutti Fysioterapi Fysiotherapie Fysiotherapeut Fyzioterapeut Kineioterapeut Kinesiología Kinesiologist Kinesiologo Kinesitherapeut(e) Kinesitherapie/ Kinésithérapie Kinesitherapist Kineziterapeutas Kinisiterapist Lääkintävoimistelija Licenciate in physical therapy Legitimerad sjukgymnast Licenced kinesiologist physiatric Licenced physical therapist Licenciada Fisioterapeuta Licenciado en kinesiologia y fysiatria Masseur - Kinésitherapeute ostéopathe Masseur - Kinésitherapeute Réeducateur Country using Brazil Macau Mexico Switzerland Romania Serbia Poland Serbia Malta Turkey Estonia Denmark Finland Norway Curacao Netherlands Czech Republic Romania Paraguay Chile Chile Belgium Mauritius Luxembourg Rwanda Lithuania Lithuania Bulgaria Finland Uruguay Sweden Argentina United States of America Uruguay Argentina France France Page 8 of 12
Masseur - France Titles Masseur-kinésithérapeute diplômé Medical rehabilitation Physical therapy consultant Physical therapy practitioner Country using France Luxembourg Bulgaria Afghanistan Australia Bahamas Barbados Bermuda Cambodia Canada Greece Hungary Iceland Israel Jamaica Japan Korea Macau Mauritius Norway Pakistan Romania Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa Spain Suriname Syria Taiwan Thailand Ukraine United Kingdom United States of America Zambia Egypt Egypt Page 9 of 12
Physical therapy specialist Physiotherapeftis Egypt Greece Titles Physiotherapeut / Physiotherapeutin Physiothérapeute Physiothérapie/ Physiotherapie Physiothérapie/ Physiotherapie Country using Austria Switzerland Switzerland Canada Rwanda Afghanistan Australia Austria Bahamas Bangladesh Belgium Bermuda Brazil Bulgaria Cambodia Canada Curaçao Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland Ghana Guyana Hong Kong Hungary India Ireland Jamaica Jordan Kenya Latvia Luxembourg Malawi Page 10 of 12
Malta Mauritius Mexico Titles with diploma Physiotherapy technician Physiotherapy technologist Physiนะ พฟยรหะ Prefix Dr. and suffix PT Registered physical therapist Sjúkraþjálfari Country using Montenegro Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Paraguay Poland Portugal Rwanda Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Sri Lanka Switzerland Trinidad and Tobago Turkey Uganda United Kingdom Zambia Zimbabwe Liechtenstein Jordan Zambia Thailand Bangladesh Jamaica Philippines Sweden United States of America Iceland Page 11 of 12
Specialist of physical rehabilitation Technician in physical therapy Terapia Física Visi fizioterapeut Ukraine Uruguay Mexico Serbia Titles המטפל פיזית الطب ي العلاج น กกายภาพบ าบ ด 물리치료物理治療理学療法士 Country using Israel Saudi Arabia Thailand Korea Hong Kong Macau Taiwan Japan Data provided by WCPT member organisations Page 12 of 12