Validation of the World Health Organization Rehabilitation Competency Framework: An illustration using physiotherapy

Objective The World Health Organization's Rehabilitation 2030 initiative represents a new strategic direction for the worldwide rehabilitation community and their Rehabilitation Competency Framework (RCF) was designed to describe the requirements of a rehabilitation workforce. This study aimed to identify and review global physiotherapy competencies and explore their congruence with the WHO-RCF. Design A document review and thematic analysis were conducted on competency documents sourced from World Physiotherapy member countries. Methods A three-pronged search strategy was used to identify physiotherapy competencies in all World Physiotherapy members that were listed on their website at the time of the study. All competency statements identified were sorted using the definitions of the five domains of the WHO-RCF. A desktop inductive thematic analysis of competencies was conducted to derive a conceptual framework for future competency framework development. Results Two thousand and one competency statements were extracted from 20 documents, all accommodated within the WHO-RCF. From the dataset, a conceptual framework was developed consisting of 17 themes and 59 sub-themes across five domains. Technological competence, entrepreneurship and broader competencies to advance the social justice agenda were identified as gaps. Conclusion To promote homogeneity, it is recommended that all rehabilitation professionals utilise a similar methodology using the WHO-RCF to develop future frameworks that are contextually relevant. Competencies needed for change in support of equitable access and better health for all should be included.