Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Team-based approaches to primary care are becoming more common across Canada. Although physiotherapists are increasingly being integrated within primary care teams, there is a lack of research on physiotherapy practice in this setting. Given the aging population, the rise of multi-morbidity, and an increasing focus on self-management of chronic diseases, physiotherapists can make important contributions to team-based primary care. An improved understanding of physiotherapy practice among primary care teams (e.g. family health teams and community health centres) is needed to optimize health service delivery in this practice setting. This research involves an online survey of physiotherapists practicing in primary care teams in Ontario. The purpose of this survey is to: (1) describe physiotherapy practice among primary care teams and (2) explore barriers and facilitators of integrating physiotherapy among primary care teams in Ontario. An improved understanding of the physiotherapist role in primary care teams will help to appreciate current challenges and provide opportunities to improve physiotherapy service delivery in Ontario, Canada.