Guidelines for Indian Physiotherapists by 2014

The Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) has said that the first clinical guidelines for physiotherapists dealing with ailments like low back pain, hemiplehia and Parkinson's Disease will be ready by 2014. Announced on the concluding day of the 50th annual conference of the IAP held here, the guidelines would be systematically developed to assist the practitioner to take decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances, said a statement.

"It is for the first time that clinical guidelines for Indians would be framed. The objective is to create evidence-based practice guidelines for its members for better patient outcome," said Umasankar Mohanty, President, IAP Organising Chairman of the conference.

According to Rajeev Agarwal, Member, IAP, it would be a multi-centre study which would involve centres from the metros and state capitals.

"Physiotherapists who have acquired substantial experience in carrying out their practice would be enrolled in the study. We expect to release the first ever clinical guidelines in 2014 at our annual conference," he said.

According to IAP, at present the physiotherapists of India are following the guidelines framed by American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) but as Indian patients are different, guidelines framed by other countries do not apply fully on them.

"We know that Indians are racially different from others and the risk factors for different diseases defined for us are different from those for other populations," said Sanjiv Kumar Jha, General Secretary, IAP.

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"We need our own guidelines in view of our special geographical, ethnic, and climatic conditions and very different dietary habits," he added.

Source-IANS