Mobility of the physiotherapits in the European Union. The Portuguese case

Carla Leão, University of Lisbon
Teresa Rodrigues, ISEGI - UNL
António M.F.Lopes, Higher Education School for Health studies of Alcoitão. Chairman of the ER-WCPT.

With the constitution of the European Union and the globalization process, mobility of persons starts to be a common subject. The migration of qualified people is nowadays a regular subject. However, the major of the mobility process is done without a perfect knowledge of the labour market or the requests needed for the exercise of the profession. In this way, we consider that the subject "Mobility of the Physiotherapist in the European Union. The Portuguese Case ", can provide a good starting point for professionals who intend to work in other EU countries. As mobility of Physiotherapists has its relevance for the policies of education and health of countries and of the European Union, the education process and the professional qualifications have to be convergent. However it is imperative to get the basic knowledge of the specific regulation of each state, in what concerns to the exercise of the profession. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the following questions: (1) Mobility of physiotherapists exists in EU? Which is the profile of the Physiotherapists? Which are the characteristics of the education and qualifications in the different countries? In quantitative and qualitative terms, how does the physiotherapist mobility expresses inside of the European space? Which are the more excellent migratory flows? ; (2) Which are the regulation foreseen for EU, where is based the mobility of Physiotherapists? Which are the legal bases? Which the necessary procedures? What impediments exist? ; (3) Inside of the problematic previously questioned, how does expresses Portugal? Which are the countries that prescribe attractive and facilitator’s conditions for the mobility of Portuguese physiotherapists? Portugal is an emitting or/and a receiving country of physiotherapists?