Profile and Physiognomy of Physiotherapy Department

The Physiotherapy Department of the School of Health Sciences of the University of Thessaly operates in Lamia, Fthiotida Prefecture and is one of the five Departments of Physiotherapy in Greece. Topographically the Department has the advantage of being located in the center of the country, resulting in the possibility of attracting students from all over Greece. The aim of the Department is to educate & train scientists who will treat the science of physiotherapy in order to prevent, improve and remedy pathological conditions, congenital and acquired, as well as traumatic injuries that cause disorders of the musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory & cardiovascular system.

The Physiotherapy Department is excellent equipped, with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructures, has three statutory research laboratories and is able to provide high quality, modern education to undergraduate and postgraduate students. In addition, the Department of Physiotherapy is collaborating, as part of its students’ clinical practice, with the General Hospital of the city of Lamia, which has 318 developed hospital beds and Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit Increased Care Unit, Coronary Diseases Unit. The General Hospital also has Orthopaedic, Pulmonary, Pediatric, Obstetric, Pathology, Psychiatry, Oncology ward etc.  The Department of Physiotherapy is also collaborating, with other bodies such as Rehabilitation Centers, Nursing Homes, Centers for open care protection of the elderly, and Schools for children with disabilities.

The objective of the Physiotherapy Department is to develop analytical and critical thinking and support students to actively participate in the learning process, which is a continuous lifelong education so that they can work as autonomous professionals and as members of the health team and be able to work with the ability to perform therapeutic actions related to the prevention and rehabilitation of the patients.

Furthermore, the Physiotherapy Department aims to implement modern, documented teaching methods in higher education such as problem based learning or simulation methods while being able to support the needs of students with disabilities and / or special educational needs through the ACCESS service of the University of Thessaly. Research activities as well as further specialization through postgraduate and doctoral studies are also high priority in the development policy of the Department. Finally, Physiotherapy Department aims at extroversion by contributing to social actions & initiatives at both local and national level with the participation of both undergraduate and postgraduate students.


Expected Learning Outcomes and Professional Qualifications According to the European and National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education

The successful attendance and completion of the undergraduate study program (USP) of the Department of Physiotherapy contribute to the following learning outcomes (knowledge, competencies, and skills):

  1. Knowledge, Competencies, and Skills

Knowledge:
The curriculum provides all the necessary courses so that Physiotherapy students acquire the required knowledge for the adequate practice of the physiotherapist profession and contribute to the advancement of science. The knowledge covers all fields of physiotherapy science and therapeutic approaches for patient rehabilitation and includes, among others, background knowledge such as anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, neurophysiology, pathology, psychology, orthopedics, neurology, surgery, diagnostic imaging, first aid, research methodology, biostatistics, management and marketing, health informatics, communication skills, as well as specialized knowledge in the field of physiotherapy such as clinical kinesiology and biomechanics, mobilization of soft tissues and joints, clinical physiology of exercise, clinical reasoning, and theoretical knowledge for the assessment and treatment of various pathological conditions of musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, and pulmonary patients of all ages and genders, at all functional and cognitive levels, without discrimination or restrictions.

Competencies:
Upon completing their studies, graduates will be able to communicate and conduct a physiotherapeutic evaluation of the patient, select, organize, and safely perform the physiotherapeutic procedures appropriate for each case based on the family-patient-centered model. Graduates of the department will have full proficiency in the required knowledge to utilize physical means, therapeutic methods, and techniques to restore, maintain, and promote the physical and psychological condition of individuals, as well as their social status, where deterioration, injury, or disease has altered their daily capabilities.

Skills:
The curriculum includes specific learning outcomes to ensure that graduates can:

  • Provide appropriate physiotherapy to patients hospitalized in public or private healthcare facilities or institutions.
  • Offer services to families and communities where there is a patient or a person with disabilities.
  • Play a significant role in health promotion and public health education through educational and counseling services.
  • Ergonomically educate patients to control the loads applied to their joints during daily activities.
  • Contribute to the training of healthcare professionals so they can adopt the most appropriate postures to minimize energy expenditure.
  • Provide advice and train patients in self-care.
  • Respect patients’ autonomy and work with absolute confidentiality.
  • Provide sufficient information regarding patients’ functional disabilities so that they can consent to the proposed rehabilitation plan.
  • Be knowledgeable about the research process, with complete respect for the rights of participants, researchers, and authors whose sources are used.
  • Develop research activities to advance the Science of Physiotherapy.
  • Be ready to adapt physiotherapy practice to new scientific developments.
  • Utilize, beyond the required clinical skills, communication skills to implement the patient-centered approach as a treatment model and respond to evolving requirements and perspectives in the healthcare sector.

Professional Rights

The undergraduate program of the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Thessaly fully meets the expected contemporary academic and professional qualifications required for practicing as a Physiotherapist.

The department’s title is “Physiotherapy,” and the study program corresponds to a recognized scientific field with acknowledged professional rights (Presidential Decree 90/1995, Government Gazette 53, vol. A’). The professional rights of the department’s graduates are defined by the aforementioned Presidential Decree, which stipulates that these graduates hold the professional title “Physiotherapists” and work either independently or in collaboration with doctors, following a medical diagnosis, in the prevention, improvement, and rehabilitation of pathological conditions, both congenital and acquired, as well as traumatic injuries that cause disorders in the musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems.

Graduates have the right to work in the public and broader public sector, in the private sector, or as self-employed professionals. They may also establish private Physiotherapy laboratories in accordance with existing legislation (Presidential Decree 29/87). Practicing the profession requires obtaining a professional license, granted by the services of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Social Security.

Furthermore, according to Article 34 of Law 4316/2014: “Graduates of the Physiotherapy Department of the country’s Higher Technological Educational Institutions evaluate, select, and perform physiotherapy procedures as provided by B.D. 411/1972, P.D. 29/1987, and P.D. 90/1995, as applicable, and included in the ‘Physiotherapy’ Chapter of P.D. 157/1991, as applicable, according to a written diagnosis or medical opinion of the attending physician, in the workplaces where they are employed under the current legislation.”

With recent developments in Higher Education in Greece, as of 2019, the institution of Higher Technological Educational Institutions (TEIs) no longer exists, and Physiotherapy education is now provided exclusively by Universities. Therefore, all related laws referring to TEI graduates must be revised, replacing the term “TEI” with “University.” Legislative adjustments have already begun with Article 247 of Law 4610/2019, Government Gazette 70/A’/7-5-2019, regarding enrollment in the Panhellenic Association of Physiotherapists (PSF), a Public Legal Entity, ensuring the unimpeded acquisition of professional rights for graduates of the new University departments, a process now secured with Article 32 of Law 4999/2022.