When Australians say ‘physio’ they mean physiotherapy”, said the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) in a recent submission to government during a review of the Health Practitioner National Law.
The APA is concerned regarding the misappropriation of the term ‘physio’ by non-physiotherapists trading on the trusted and hard-earned reputation of the profession.
Currently the National Law in Australia protects the titles physiotherapist and physical therapist, but the absence of the title ‘physio’ is allowing other registered and non-registered health practitioners to circumvent the intention of the National Law by using the term ‘physio’ in their advertising and in discussions with patients.
The APA highlighted that the further protection would align Australia with professional bodies in New Zealand and Canada, and the recommendation of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.
The call is the latest in the APA’s long and sustained efforts—via advocacy and marketing—to safeguard the profession and educate key stakeholders about the value of our high quality and evidence-based profession.
The APA doesn’t just talk the talk. Last week they made a significant advocacy move to strengthen their own connection to the term ‘physio’ by updating their corporate website URL to www.australian.physio.
By connecting their brand with the .physio top level domain for their digital identity the APA is actively reinforcing the profession’s ownership of the term ‘physio’.
Physiotherapists and physiotherapy organisations are encouraged to follow the APA’s lead and utilise the profession’s own domain extension so as to strengthen our ownership of the term ‘physio’. Simply go to www.dotphysio.flywheelsites.com and register your domain now.
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