Physiotherapy in Rehabilitation and Community Practice

Physiotherapy in Rehabilitation and Community Practice is a foundation practice area in the Masters of Physiotherapy Course. This unit focuses on fostering students’ capabilities in development of a comprehensive, evidence-based and person-centred rehabilitation program on discharge from an inpatient setting. In this unit, students will learn about principles of designing a rehabilitation program across different settings such as community-based, elite sporting clubs, low-resources environments and in the water for a variety of health conditions across the lifespan. Additionally, students will refine their skills in exercise prescription both for the individual client or in a group setting. Lastly, the unit aims to develop students’ ability to communicate health messages to their clients, develops their inter-professional knowledge about a multidisciplinary team approach and fosters their ability to learn independently.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse clinical information and develop a person-centred discharge plan for people in need of rehabilitation across various health settings;
2. Design and communicate key health messages to lay people including people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and multicultural communities;
3. Assess and design a safe and effective client-focused individual exercise program using applied anatomy and pathophysiology knowledge;
4. Design and deliver a safe and evidence-based, client-centred group exercise program; and
5. Critically appraise the outcomes of an intervention and modify plans accordingly.