Finding the "Right-Size" Physical Therapy Workforce: International Perspective Across 4 Countries

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Global Health Policy
• Workforce Planning

Background:

• The
• right-size
• physical therapy workforce is crucial but understudied internationally.
• Limited research exists on cross-national physical therapy workforce dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively examine physical therapy workforce issues across four diverse countries.
• To develop and apply a theoretical model for analyzing physical therapy workforce needs and supply.
• To explore factors influencing physical therapy workforce supply and scope of practice internationally.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of public domain data from the United States, Singapore, Portugal, and Bangladesh.
• Application of a theoretical model focusing on workforce need indicators, access barriers, graduate trends, and migration.
• Examination of physical therapy workforce supply and scope of practice relative to other health professions.

Main Results:

• Significant variations in physical therapy workforce supply (physical therapists per capita) were observed across the four countries.
• Country-specific factors, including healthcare needs, financial/administrative barriers, graduate output, and international migration, significantly impact workforce supply.
• No single "one-size-fits-all" model effectively determines optimal physical therapy workforce levels.

Conclusions:

• Optimal physical therapy workforce supply is highly context-dependent, varying by country and even within countries.
• Discipline-specific healthcare and unique contextual factors shape the ideal physical therapy workforce composition.
• This study provides a framework for evaluating physical therapy workforces within their specific national contexts.