Looking Back: ENPHE Conference 2024 - Educating Physiotherapists for a Global Mindset

The European Network of Physiotherapy in Higher Education (ENPHE) held its conference in Warsaw, Poland between 12-14 of October 2023. Hosted by the The Faculty of Rehabilitation of the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education, the conference brought together physiotherapy educators, researchers, and students from across Europe to exchange knowledge, insights, and experiences.

Overview of the Conference

Over the course of three days, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities, including keynote speeches, workshops, presentations, and networking sessions. The theme of this year's conference was "Physiotherapy Education: Aiming at Excellence through Collaboration", which inspired lively and engaging conversations about working together, collaborating and developing in the field. We counted with the presence about 200 participants from about 30 different countries.

Keynotes and Special Sessions in Warsaw

IThe conference was enriched by inspirational sessions and a keynote that left participants with valuable insights. Tomasz Marciniak’s session on Facilitating Learning delved into strategies to optimize teaching and create engaging learning environments. Nicola Walsh and Kenneth Chance-Larsen led an impactful session titled Bridging the Gap: Aligning Physiotherapy Education with Contemporary Practice, addressing how physiotherapy programs can better prepare students for evolving professional demands.

A representative from the Polish Chamber of Physiotherapy presented The Changes in Physiotherapy Education in Poland: The 5-Year Master's Degree Experience – Challenges and Opportunities. This session offered a comprehensive overview of Poland’s transition to a 5-year Master's program, highlighting its implications for the profession and the opportunities it presents for physiotherapy education.

Additionally, the keynote From Interprofessional to Transdisciplinary: Bridging Physiotherapy with Diverse Disciplines, delivered by Jasmin Pekaric and Ali Tavakoli, explored how physiotherapy can transcend traditional boundaries. Drawing on insights from the ENPHE Student Day Workshop in A Coruña, the keynote emphasized the importance of integrating media, technology, art, and business skills into physiotherapy education. By embracing transdisciplinary approaches, the profession can innovate and adapt to global challenges, preparing students to collaborate across fields and broaden their career horizons.

Another standout session was Strengthening Physical Therapy Education in Wartime: Challenges, National, and Global Cooperation, presented by Kateryna Tymruk-Skoropad. The session shed light on the evolving demands for physical therapists in Ukraine amidst the ongoing war, highlighting the challenges and barriers faced by the education system. It also showcased efforts by Ukrainian and international communities to enhance both formal and non-formal education, ensuring that the profession can meet the growing needs of public hospitals and society.

These sessions provided inspiration, actionable takeaways, and a glimpse into how physiotherapy education is evolving to address current and future challenges.

About the Working Group Development Sessions

The Emergent Topics Group & Pre-Conference AI Workshop

The group held a pre-conference workshop in Warsaw in September 2024 focused on The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education and Research. The workshop’s primary aim was to enhance participants' understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI)'s capabilities and its relevance in the context of education and research in healthcare professions. Participants explored various AI technologies, potential applications, and strategies to optimize learning experiences and research outcomes.

Contents of the workshop:

• AI in Education and Research: Opportunities and Challenges
• AI for Personal Organization and Communication
• AI for Support in Teaching and Learning
• AI for Support in Research
• AI Ethics and Integration in Education and Research

The group is reflecting on its future direction. At the upcoming seminar in Breda in April 2025 the working group have decided the topic AI Workflows in Education

Description: This workshop offers Physiotherapy educators practical insights and tools for incorporating AI into educational workflows. Participants will explore AI applications that enhance student engagement and support personalized learning. Through interactive sessions, attendees will gain hands-on experience with AI tools, learn best practices, and collaboratively develop workflows suited to educational settings.

Practice-based learning working group

In Warsaw in September 2024, this group’s session centered on Assessment of Clinical Practice for International Physiotherapy Students Using the ZelCom Model. The session included a presentation on a new assessment form for clinical practice and a workshop introducing the ZelCom model. This model assesses student competence by analyzing task complexity, context, and the student’s degree of independence.

At the seminar in Breda in April 2025 the working group will continue focusing on Assessment of clinical practice for International Physiotherapy Students with integration of the ZelCom Model into the assessment form.

In Warsaw we looked together at the ZelCom model and, using practical examples, how this model can be used to determine the level of the student during the internship. In Breda we want to use the new internship assessment form and how we can use the ZelCom Model to estimate the level of physiotherapy performance of the students during their internships. We will again use practical examples and based on the feedback from the participants we want to adapt and implement the assessment form for the international internships and/or ENPHE partners.

Internationalization working group

The group’s Warsaw session in September 2024 covered The Global Competent Physiotherapist: From Learning Outcomes to Educational Assessment.

The group has developed a physiotherapy specific competence model based on the Dutch Nuffic model and the Global Competent Physiotherapist. The group has collected examples of learning outcomes as part of the skills, attitude, knowledge and international orientation. The session included an overview of the model with examples of learning outcomes and collaborative work on advancing toward effective assessment methods.

At the seminar in Breda in April 2025 the working group have decided the topic:

On the road from learning outcomes to assessment of education

Based on the work during the seminar in Bergen the working group has developed a Physiotherapy specific competence model (based on the Dutch Nuffic model) on the Global Competent Physiotherapist. In A Coruna we collected examples of learning outcomes as part of  the skills, attitude, knowledge and international orientation. In the inspirational session in Warsaw we presented the model, examples of learning outcomes and worked in co-creation with the participants on further developing the next step in the direction of assessment.

In Breda we will work on the next step from learning outcomes to assessment and learning activities. How can we evaluate (formative or summative) whether students have achieved the learning outcomes as a Global Competent Physiotherapist? And which learning activities (e.g. tasks & exercises) are designed to help students achieve the learning outcomes? With the participants of the seminar we will work with the already developed and collected materials from the various programs.

Environmental physiotherapy working group

The group’s session in Warsaw in September 2024 was titled Global Awareness in Physiotherapy. The session focused on incorporating environmental issues into physiotherapy curricula to prepare future professionals for sustainable practices. A survey was introduced to gather insights on effective teaching methods, and the group presented innovative tools, including an escape room and other experiential learning strategies, to engage students.

In the group session in Breda in April 2025 the group intends to finish the teacher prompts that we have been developing, work on the Escape Room for students, and give more insights concerning the introduction to the curricula of Environmental Physiotherapy issues.

Research working group

The group’s Warsaw session in September 2024 discussed Lines of Work in the Research Group and Future Prospects. This session covered the results of the research team’s recent projects and current collaboration models.

In the group session in Breda in April 2025 the group will start to prepare a survey for physiotherapy students on evidence-based physiotherapy. Students are particularly welcome to join in. Their ideas and experience are important in preparing the survey. This work is a continuation of activities started previously on evidence-based physiotherapy just as systematic review and survey for the teachers.

Interprofessional learning working group

Although the group did not hold a session in Warsaw, it will lead a session in Breda in April 2025. The Working Group Interprofessional Learning (WG-IPL) will look at different health care settings to gain an overview of the specific roles and tasks in which physiotherapists engage in interprofessional collaboration. We will look at the contribution of physiotherapists as a team member to the collective effort to achieve shared responsibility, interactive planning and collaborative decision making. Based on the results of the survey ENPHE members have complete during the conference in Warsaw we will look more closely at these different roles and discuss different health care settings as places where health care services are provided, that vary in scope and specialization. Our aim is to identify the role of physiotherapy in different care settings and the competences for physiotherapists in interprofessional collaboration.

Professional Issues Working Group
The topic of the group’s session in Warsaw in September 2024 was Professional issues –Clinical Reasoning as an essential part of direct access (DA). The session discussed how clinical reasoning is developed throughout physiotherapy education, from first-year basics to third-year application. The group emphasized the importance of clinical reasoning skills for DA readiness, with discussions on linking these skills to learning exercises and simulations. Future work may focus on creating standardized case studies to pinpoint areas needing additional training.

The working group will not have a session in April 2025 in Breda.  

Pain education working group

The group’s session in Warsaw in September 2024 presented Pain Science Education in Undergraduate Curricula – An Update. This session gave an overview of the new Pain Education working group and began by presenting the European Pain Federation EFIC Core pain curriculum for Bachelor / Pre-registration Physiotherapy Programmes: EFIC Physiotherapy Curriculum. Participants then engaged in drafting competencies for the learning outcomes for the four sections of the curriculum (Pain science and knowledge, Principles of assessment and measurement, Principles of treatment, and Pain Subgroups / Special Patient Populations). The session concluded with participants discussing approaches on how to integrate pain science into the curriculum.

At the seminar in Breda in April 2025 the working group will:

• Review and discuss the competences for the learning outcomes
• Discuss resources available to support the implementation of the EFIC core curriculum into Physiotherapy education.

General Assembly

Newsletter Item: Highlights from the ENPHE General Assembly

Date: Saturday, 14 September 2024
Location: Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education – Warsaw, Poland

As part of the ENPHE Conference 2024, the General Assembly convened to discuss key updates and plans for the network. Here’s an overview of the session:

1. Opening and Agenda Approval
   The assembly, led by Katrijn D’Herdt, approved the proposed agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting (April 2024).

2. Activity and Financial Plans for 2025

   • Activity Plan: Presented by Patricia Almeida, the plan outlines ENPHE’s strategic goals for the coming year. Online voting resulted in unanimous approval (28 yes votes).
   • Financial Plan: Presented by Bjorg Guðjónsdóttir, this was also approved via online voting (27 yes, 1 blank).

3. Erasmus+ Opportunities Clarified
   ENPHE reiterated that Erasmus+ staff mobility funding applies only to training activities like job shadowing and not conferences. Members are encouraged to consult the updated Erasmus+ programme guide for further details.

4. Bylaws Update
   A revision of ENPHE’s bylaws is underway to address inconsistencies and improve clarity. The updated version will be presented for approval at the Spring Seminar 2025.

5. Board Elections in Autumn 2025
   Several board positions will open during the Autumn Conference 2025 in Luxembourg. Members are encouraged to consider applying or consulting their institutions. Details on roles and responsibilities will follow.

6. Future Scheduling Adjustments
   Members suggested shifting the General Assembly to Saturday mornings to improve the overall conference schedule and closing ceremony attendance.

This year’s General Assembly highlighted ENPHE’s commitment to collaboration and excellence in physiotherapy education. For more details, check the minutes and voting results shared with members.

Let’s continue shaping the future of physiotherapy education together!

Looking back…

…it is safe to say that the ENPHE Conference Edition of 2024 in Warsaw, Poland was another successful ENPHE event, with colleagues coming together to collaborate, network and co-create. Such a success would not have been possible without the tireless work of our colleagues at the host university he Faculty of Rehabilitation of the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education, therefore a special thank you to Piotr Czyżewski and Weronika Kruk-Majtyka. Additionally, thank you to the keynote speakers for sharing their insights, and the WG facilitators for hosting such interesting workshops. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to all the participants for joining and making this ENPHE event so pleasant. We hope to see you all again during the ENPHE Seminar 2025 Edition in Breda, The Netherlands!