Environmental Physiotherapy Education in Austria

Written by Verena Eder, Jakob Leitner, Remigius Palle, Florian Trucksitz, Tobias Buchegger, Theo Entacher

Terminology

Environmental Physiotherapy seems to be a very general term. It combines the fields of environment and physiotherapy, although the exact interfaces are not always immediately obvious. It refers to a combination of external environmental influences and the long-term effects on human health. In this context, terms such as sustainability and climate change gain prominence and show how closely our physical health and natural environmental influences are linked.

Education in Austria

Environmental physiotherapy has already been included in the curriculum at some educational institutions. Courses such as “Occupation-specific aspects of climate and sustainability” or “Climate change and health – THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW” deal with the question how physiotherapy and the environment can be combined (1,2). Due to the already dense curriculum of the bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy, it is simply not possible for many universities of applied sciences in Austria to provide entire teaching units dedicated solely to this topic. For this reason, some institutions are already incorporating small parts of environmental physiotherapy into various lectures. Nevertheless, it would be worthwhile to offer separate courses on this subject. Climate change and the resulting rise in temperatures are having a negative impact on certain pathologies, whether in patients with cardiovascular diseases or in geriatric patients(3–5).

Besides, there is also a program called train-the-trainer, by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH, with the goal to educate educators in the complex interrelationship between climate and health. With this system they want to empower teachers to bring awareness in health professions in secondary and tertiary schools. Hosted by the Austrian National Public Health Institute, this course is free of charge(6).

Expertise

At the universities of applied sciences in Burgenland, Carinthia, Vienna, and Salzburg, the topic of environmental physiotherapy is already being incorporated into existing courses. Elena Fluch E, MSc, a teacher at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, served as an expert for this article. She links the term to changing climate conditions and a sustainable professional environment, among other things. In her opinion, more emphasis should be placed on education and training “because it is a health issue” (2). Her faculty already addresses this topic and covers it in courses with 15 teaching units. Nevertheless, “an extension up to 30 teaching units in the overall Curriculum would be useful” (2). However, she thinks time management is a limiting factor, which would require a reduction or less in-depth coverage of the existing content. Interdisciplinary working groups with a focus on climate competencies for health professions are currently being developed in collaboration with other departments dedicated to health in Carinthia. As a starting point to integrate environmental physiotherapy better into the curriculum, she mentioned that it is especially important to raise awareness among students and teachers, “because a healthy environment and planet are the basis for our own health and for the health of future generations” (2).

Future prospects

Environmental physiotherapy has been covered only briefly in Austrian physiotherapy training so far. However, it is possible to integrate it into the curriculum or thematise it in existing lectures, as is already being done at some University of Applied Sciences. Experts such as Elena Fluch emphasize how important it is to address this issue properly, not only to improve health, but also to use nature responsibly.

Conclusion

Environmental physiotherapy is an important engagement for overcoming the health challenges posed by environmental changes. The connection between environmental awareness and physiotherapy shows how closely human health and our natural environment are linked. Training should therefore include comprehensive content on the environment, sustainability, and dealing with the consequences of climate change. Physiotherapy can not only help individuals but also contribute to us all living healthier lives in an environment that is clean, stable, and livable.