Aligning Ukraine’s academic programmes with international standards is essential for providing effective rehabilitation to the growing number of individuals affected by war-related injuries. The International Rehabilitation Education and Training Toolkit (IRETT) has been instrumental in facilitating collaborative training sessions to achieve this alignment.
In recent years, Ukraine has experienced a significant increase in demand for highly qualified rehabilitation professionals due to the increase in war-related injuries. Bringing university curricula in line with global standards is crucial to ensure the quality of education of rehabilitation professionals, thus improving rehabilitation outcomes.
Over the past two years, the USAID-supported activities Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS) and Strengthening Rehabilitation Services in the Health Systems (SRSHS) have fostered international collaborations aimed at strengthening academic programmes in Ukraine. This effort has included two face-to-face meetings in Poland and 50 online workshops focused on the application of the IRETT’s Academic Programme Reflection Tool (APRT). The APRT is a practical guide designed to support the development and evaluation of academic programmes in the rehabilitation professions. It facilitates a reflective review process to identify opportunities for meaningful change, taking into account both local and global standards.
In both 2022 and 2023, face-to-face workshops on Leadership for Rehabilitation Education and Workforce Development for Ukraine were held in Poland. These workshops involved close collaboration with representatives from the Ukrainian Catholic University, the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport, the Lviv State University of Physical Culture and the Khortytsia Rehabilitation Academy. The IRETT framework was utilised to assist each university in crafting and sharing an initial roadmap for their programmes. Additionally, participants reported incorporating translated Physiopedia Plus courses into their teaching, which enables educators to focus classroom time on strategies that enhance practical application and improve student retention.
Supporting webinars for university educators have provided training to more than 100 teachers from over 30 Ukrainian higher education institutions on international standards of physiotherapy and occupational therapy and their application in the orientation of Master’s level courses. These sessions, led by international experts Dr Larisa Hoffman (Physical Therapist and Professor at Regis University, USA) and Dr Angela Patterson (Occupational Therapist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Creighton University), included simultaneous interpretation. The webinars aimed to raise awareness of global standards and offer guidance on progressively incorporating international practices into teaching.
Almost two years of close and systematic cooperation with foreign experts, allowed us to analyze the educational program for masters in physical therapy step by step and improve knowledge of modern approaches to using APRT of the IRETT with universities. This cooperation gave a significant stimulus to the improvement of the educational program, motivation to develop for the teachers involved in the cooperation, and to continue the development of the specialty at the university. Ivan Bobersky Lviv State Physical Culture University is sincerely grateful for the trust of Physiopedia and its involvement in the project. We look forward to continuing our cooperation and are ready to share our knowledge with colleagues from other higher education institutions – participants of the Ivan Bobersky Lviv State Physical Culture University
As a result of these initiatives, from 2022 to 2024, four universities enhanced their Physical Therapy Master’s programmes to meet international standards through collaboration with university representatives. With newly developed action plans, these universities are now implementing changes locally to align with their specific requirements. They are also expanding their efforts to improve additional programmes, including Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy at the Master’s, Bachelor’s, and PhD levels.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the International Project “Strengthening Rehabilitation Services in the Healthcare System”, which provided boundless opportunities for further growth and improvement of the education of Master’s Degree students in Physical Therapy. Khortytsia National Academy is focused on the development of innovative approaches to education that help to improve the results and efficiency of providing educational services to students. We believe that our participation in this project plays a key role in providing affordable and high-quality education in physical therapy and contributes to the formation of highly qualified specialists. We are sincerely grateful to the project organizers, colleagues, and international experts for the opportunity to develop and improve – Tetiana Odynets, Head of the Department of the Khortytsia National Educational and Rehabilitational Academy
Numerous academic institutions in Ukraine are now incorporating Physiopedia Plus online courses into their curricula to enhance teaching strategies, address gaps in teaching capacity, and support self-study for students. Physiopedia has provided free access to its Plus online learning and professional development platform, featuring over 700 online courses for rehabilitation professionals, with over 300 courses translated into Ukrainian.
This initiative is organised by Physiopedia as part of the “Strengthening Rehabilitation Services in the Health Systems” (SRSHS) project, implemented by the Momentum Wheels for Humanity and supported by the American people the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
