A profile of physiotherapy supply in Ireland.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland Country of Publication: Ireland NLM ID: 7806864 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1863-4362 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00211265 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Ir J Med Sci Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Dublin : Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland
    • Subject Terms:
      Health Workforce/*statistics & numerical data ; Physical Therapists/*supply & distribution ; Private Sector/*statistics & numerical data ; Public Sector/*statistics & numerical data; Female ; Humans ; Ireland ; Male ; Physical Therapy Modalities/statistics & numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires
    • Abstract:
      Background: The lack of information on public and private physiotherapy supply in Ireland makes current and future resource allocation decisions difficult.
      Aim: This paper estimates the supply of physiotherapists in Ireland and profiles physiotherapists across acute and non-acute sectors, and across public and private practice. It examines geographic variation in physiotherapist supply, examining the implications of controlling for healthcare need.
      Methods: Physiotherapist headcounts are estimated using Health Service Personnel Census (HSPC) and Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) Register data. Headcounts are converted to whole-time equivalents (WTEs) using the HSPC and a survey of ISCP members to account for full- and part-time working practices. Non-acute supply per 10,000 population in each county is estimated to examine geographic inequalities and the raw population is adjusted in turn for a range of need indicators.
      Results: An estimated 3172 physiotherapists were practising in Ireland in 2015; 6.8 physiotherapists per 10,000, providing an estimated 2620 WTEs. Females accounted for 74% of supply. Supply was greater in the non-acute sector; 1774 WTEs versus 846 WTEs in the acute sector. Physiotherapists in the acute sector were located mainly in publicly financed institutions (89%) with an even public/private split observed in the non-acute sector. Non-acute physiotherapist supply is unequally distributed across Ireland (Gini coefficient = 0.12; 95% CI 0.08-0.15), and inequalities remain after controlling for variations in healthcare needs across counties.
      Conclusion: The supply of physiotherapists in Ireland is 30% lower than the EU-28 average. Substantial inequality in the distribution of physiotherapists across counties is observed.
    • References:
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      Aust J Physiother. 2005;51(2):109-16. (PMID: 15924513)
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    • Grant Information:
      HRA-2014-HSR-659 Ireland Health Research Board
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Geographic distribution; Non-acute supply; Physiotherapy supply
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20180415 Date Completed: 20190322 Latest Revision: 20200225
    • Publication Date:
      20250114
    • Accession Number:
      10.1007/s11845-018-1806-1
    • Accession Number:
      29654531