Proposal for improving the system of physical therapy education and the Korean physical therapist licensing examination based on a comparison of the systems in World Confederation for Physical Therapy member countries

Importance and utilization frequency of essential competencies of Korean physical therapists

“…Thus, it is necessary to redefine the competencies of Korean physical therapists. Changes in the population and disease structure, changes in the medical environment (e.g., advances in medical technology), and subsequent changes in medical personnel-related policies are major factors related to the physical therapist competencies required by society [3]. Korea has become an aging society, with > 14% of the population aged ≥ 65 years, and is expected to become a super-aging society in the near future [4].…”

“…Furthermore, it is estimated that the national costs of healthcare will continue to increase according to the public’s perception of quality of life, the increase in the use of medical services, the overuse of high-tech expensive medical equipment, and the need for healthcare for the elderly and high-quality medical services. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the quality of physical therapy services to align with changes in the public’s awareness of health promotion and increasing national medical costs [ 3 ].…”

“…However, it is becoming increasingly important for physical therapists to focus on their diagnosis and evaluation capabilities in order to interpret patients’ status ( Table 3 ). Therefore, for future physical therapy curricula and national exams to present reasonable educational objectives that reflect important practical job competencies of physical therapists, it is necessary to increase the number of hours of education on the subjects of diagnosis, examination and evaluation, and clinical decision-making, and to reflect that emphasis in examinations [ 3 ]. The resultant improvements in physical therapists’ diagnostic evaluation competency will increase their ability to accurately identify patients’ problems and to verify the effectiveness of interventions and treatment methods based on those results [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Enhancing the Autonomy of Physical Therapy in Korea and Its Significance for the National Healthcare System: Facing the Challenges of a Super-aging Society

“…As of 2023, countries such as France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United States, Ireland, Iceland, and Canada have implemented professional graduate school systems to foster physical therapy personnel, while the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia have adopted a 4-year school system for physical therapy education [3]. In the Asiahttps://doi.org/10.12674/ptk.2023.30.2.87 Ki-song Kim 5-year school system; all of these countries in the Asia-Pacific region have the right to self-reliance [2,4].…”