Vision of Israeli physical therapy national directors on the future development of the profession

In response to global epidemiological trends in the 21st century, participants of the First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health have formed a vision of practice, which focuses on physical therapy (PT) education and research. This article aimed to describe the vision of Israeli PT national directors concerning the development of the profession. Methods: This study employed the qualitative approach and relied on personal in-depth interviews. Results: A content analysis uncovered nine major categories of such vision, including the following: improving service, position of the profession within the health care system, promoting research, extending roles, expanding the authority of physical therapists (PTs), arranging for mandatory continued professional development, constructing PT specialty programs, improving the service from an administrative perspective, and expanding PTs' public involvement and activities. Conclusions: The vision of Israeli PT directors deals mainly with improving the level of services from a professional and administrative perspective as well as correctly positioning the profession within the healthcare system. Similar to the vision stated at the PT summit, it too deals with the extension of roles, the expansion of PTs' authority, and the establishment of evidence-based practice. The position of PT in Israel differs from that of PT in leading Western countries, and this may explain differences in vision priorities and emphases.