Like most people, I'm still feeling the shock of Donald Trump's US presidential election win last week. Once all the dust has settled, and people have started to face up to what has been called the 'post-truth' era in politics (see this or this), there will have to be some real soul searching about what this all means for the future of our societies. Big issues like environmental degradation, personal security, tolerance for others, and health, will play out alongside more 'local' issues like paying the weekly bills, dealing with family problems, and managing our busy lives. Amidst all this 'noise' its worth reflecting on something subtle but highly significant about this recent … [Read more...] about Trump, Brexit and physiotherapy
The End of Physiotherapy is nigh
Apologies for the shameless self-publicity, but I'm truly delighted to reveal that the book I have been working on for the last two years went off to Routledge for copy editing this morning, with a publication date set for just before WCPT in June next year. Notwithstanding its apocalyptic title, The End of Physiotherapy is actually a book about the future for the profession, and asks how physiotherapy developed the way it did, and how we are going to need to respond to the challenges facing us in the years to come. The book analyses the purpose (or end) of physiotherapy, but also predicts that physiotherapy will not survive (the other meaning of 'end'), unless it understands its … [Read more...] about The End of Physiotherapy is nigh
counting down to ER-WCPT2016
With less than a week to go to ER-WCPT2016 conference in Liverpool I've just downloaded the conference app (android version is available here)! Looking at the programme, I can see that there are a number of active CPN members presenting at ER-WCPT2016. On Friday morning, Catherine Sykes is a panellist in the 'Current population health from a European perspective' symposium and Michael Rowe is presenting a paper in the 'Learning in practice' platform presentation session. On Friday afternoon, Jonathan Harvey is a panellist in the Patient Voice symposium, and on Saturday morning Joanne Etherton is part of the 'Researching Physiotherapy Education' Rapid 5 session. And then there's the poster … [Read more...] about counting down to ER-WCPT2016
The biopsychosocial model revisited
Apologies for this longer than normal post...but we have much to discuss! Judging by the response to last week's post on the Biopsychosocial (BPS) Model, it is clearly a subject that is exercising the minds of a lot of physio/physical therapists. Not wanting to play a kind of 'dog-whistle' politics - where someone lights a torch under an incendiary issue and then walks away - I wanted to take in the flavour of the discussion before coming back to the blog to compose some reflections. So firstly, thanks to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on the subject last week. The conversation felt thoughtful, courteous and respectful of people's different positions. In … [Read more...] about The biopsychosocial model revisited
Is the Biopsychosocial Model all it’s cracked up to be?
It's quite common these days to see advocates of a more 'holistic' healthcare practice championing the Biopsychosocial (BPS) Model. In areas where healthcare has become increasingly complex - where people's individual values and beliefs can't be avoided, and where people's social context affects their lives so palpably that a biomechanical approach to assessment and treatment is simply inadequate - the BPS model is promoted as a way forward. But is it as sound as people seem to think? The BPS model was initially proposed by George Engel as a ‘unified concept of health and disability’ (Engel 1960) and was based on a very particular form of positivist psychology called General Systems … [Read more...] about Is the Biopsychosocial Model all it’s cracked up to be?
Extended members
One of the things I like most about the CPN is that its doing some pretty big things (international collaborations, book projects, a WCPT Focused Symposium next year, etc.), but its still small enough so that you get to see what other people are doing. And some of the things other people are doing are incredible. Anna Rajala, for instance, has been a CPN member since the early days, and during that time has been writing and teaching about history of medicine, mental health, disability, and political and moral philosophy. She's done a masters degree in philosophy, politics and economics of health and her dissertation on Hegel’s dialectics of recognition and ethics in dementia was awarded … [Read more...] about Extended members
are you a CPN member attending ER-WCPT2016 in Liverpool?
ER-WCPT2016 is just under 1 month away and a couple of CPN members have been in touch to ask whether I know of other members who are going to Liverpool and whether there are plans for an informal CPN get-together at the event. Rather than leaving everything to chance, I’ve set up a ’group’ on the CPN website that members coming to ER-WCPT2016 can join. I hope the online space will allow us to network before we meet in Liverpool and should make organisation of an informal get-together a bit easier! To sign up to the ER-WCPT2016 ’group’ please visit https://www.criticalphysio.net & log in as a member. Once you have logged in, click on the ‘for members’ tab and select ‘groups’ from the … [Read more...] about are you a CPN member attending ER-WCPT2016 in Liverpool?