Current developments in society, such as the change in demographics, digitalisation and the increase in chronic multimorbid and complex medical conditions, are changing demands on the health care system. To enable an early response to these changes, it is crucial to learn more about the physiotherapists active in Switzerland and their participation in the health care structures.

The project pursued two main objectives: 

1. To learn more about physiotherapists in Switzerland with regards to their working situation, occupational orientation, education and training qualifications and areas of activity; as well as
2. To collect information on the current health care structures that treat patients with chronic diseases in which physiotherapists participate.

Furthermore, an instrument to enable the repeat collection of this data in the future had to be developed.

Based on the knowledge obtained from a literature search and explorative surveys, an online questionnaire was developed in which physiotherapists active in Switzerland were surveyed.

Of the 2‘852 participants surveyed, 98 % currently work as a physiotherapist. They work in the following fields of activity (whereby, some people are active in multiple fields): 55 % in their own outpatient practice, 25 % in an inpatient or partial-inpatient facility, 23 % employed in an outpatient practice, and approx. 11 % respectively, exclusively in outpatient home care and in the field of health promotion and prevention. Respectively, less than 10 % work in the fields of education, research, professional organisations and associations, whereby, some people are active in several of the mentioned fields of activity. The 2 % of participants not currently working as a physiotherapist are mostly employed in another profession, engaged in family work or undergoing training or further education. The majority of participants (58 %) are also involved in caring for children and/or relatives.
The participants also answered questions on the compatibility of their profession and family, on work satisfaction, quality and quantity of care, on their medical-therapeutic specialist area and fields of activity, as well as on intra-professional cooperation. The survey instrument – the online-questionnaire – can be used again for repeat future data collection.

• Project Leader
  Prof. Dr. Irina Nast, Prof. Dr. Astrid Schämann, ZHAW
  Prof. Dr. Lara Allet, HES-SO
• Project Duration
  01.02.2016 – 31.03.2017
• Project Team
  ZHAW School of Health Sciences, Institute of Physiotherapy
  Mandy Scheermesser, Prof. Dr. Markus Wirz
  HES-SO Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse occidentale, Santé
  Simone Gafner, Prof. Roger Hilfiker
• Project Partner
  Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO)
• Financing
  Swiss Physiotherapy Association physioswiss
• Project Status
  Completed

The final report was prepared for the commissioning client physioswiss.
The short report is available at:https://www.physioswiss.ch/de/profession/Forschung.