Welcome to WHTA - A Letter to Physiotherapists
There is no doubt that in recent years the physiotherapy profession has increasingly become recognised as a major player in the management of complex women's health disorders. As a profession we now find ourselves regularly at the forefront of health services assessing and treating conditions such as pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary & faecal incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, musculoskeletal disorders of pregnancy, lymphoedema and recovery of function after breast cancer surgery.
As Physiotherapists we tend to be highly respected amongst our medical and nursing peers. This is likely due to our solid, evidenced based approach to diagnosis and treatment, and advanced clinical reasoning skills. Unfortunately though, with the ever increasing volume of research being published in women's health, the ability for practitioners to remain up to date on all advancements has become increasingly time consuming, especially for those working in very isolated conditions. Ultimately, this has been the driving factor behind the attempted establishment of "WHTA".....
The goal of WHTA is to provide a platform whereby physiotherapists can more easily access professional development and research updates within the women's health field.
To achieve this goal, WHTA provides:
- Regular, "tiered" professional development courses that cater to varying levels of
clinical experience and expertise (ie ranging from introductory to advanced courses)
- "Annual Update Days" summarising new research that has occurred within specific
topic areas over the preceeding year.
- A "WHTA Membership" option providing newsletters, research alerts, on-line mini-tutes,
a shared online folder of patient handouts & clinical guidelines, discounts on
courses and email / phone support for complex clinical cases.
- Links to product suppliers, terminology reports and relevant professional associations
Overall, WHTA was established after encouragement from colleagues. It is a venture that I hope will grow in the future, but to do so will require support and feedback.
I do hope that you find the intitial WHTA model beneficial to your professional development, and welcome ideas that may enhance the ability for this platform to continue to grow in the future.
Regards,
Taryn Hallam
