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Finnish Association of Physiotherapists FAP

Asemamiehenkatu 4
00520 Helsinki

FINLAND
  Tel.: +358 5422 7540
Fax: +358 9 148 3054
email: toimisto@suomenfysioterapeutit.fi
katri.partanen@suomenfysioterapeutit.fi
Web: www.suomenfysioterapeutit.fi
Last update: 22.01.2013
FINLAND Download this document (PDF) for printout



Contact person
  General Secretary   Katri Partanen

Our office hours
  DURING THE WEEK  
mon. 9.00 am - 3.30 pm
tue. 9.00 am - 3.30 pm
wed. 9.00 am - 3.30 pm
thu. 9.00 am - 3.30 pm
fri. 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Country information
 FINLAND 
Population:5.407.740 (11.5.2012)
Number of Physiotherapists 
- in the association: 7.300
- in the country: 15 216 (31.12.2011)

Headquarters
  DETAILS   The Finnish headquarter has six staff employees and a half-time employed managing director. The association holds executive meetings about 9 times per year and furthers liasions with other health care professions and authorities. The Finnish physiotherapy association is a professional body and also a co-operation member of the trade Union of Health and Social Care Professionals - Tehy.

Migration Information
  LINK TO DETAILED INFORMATION FOR MIGRATORS   Click here for detailed information regarding the migration procedures for Physiotherapists to: FINLAND

Physiotherapy Education
  INFORMATION AND NUMBERS   The association has their own education department run by one (1) employee. There are 15 physiotherapy schools in the country with about 400 new students per year. The physiotherapy education is on higher level at the polytechnics. It results in an academic degree/diploma after 3,5 years of studies, which corresponds to 210 ECTS credits. After professional physiotherapy education there is     possibility for studying masters/doctorate degrees at the university of Jyväskylä. The aim of this education is to yield experts for teaching and research in physiotherapy.

Status of profession
  TITLE AND REGULATIONS ON THE PROFESSION   Professional Title/ Qualification: Physiotherapist - Fysioterapeutti (Finnish) - Fysioterapeut (Swedish). Legal protection of the title and activity of physiotherapists is established and there is founded rules of professional conduct for physiotherapists. All physiotherapists must be registered and obtain a licence to practice physiotherapy. "The National Supervising Authority for Welfare And Health- Valvira" is competent authority for physiotherapy and other health care professions in Finland. Finnish Association of Physiotherapista has established a code of ethics for physiotherapists.

Practice of physiotherapy
  INSURANCE AND PRACTICE REGULATIONS   The physiotherapy services are determined by the profession and the physiotherapist determines the clinical interventions of physiotherapy independently him/herself. There are both public and private physiotherapy services in Finland. The insurance cover for physiotherapy is paid both through the national health care system and privately by the patient. Patient has self-referral to physiotherapy in private sector but the reimbursement is possible only with doctors referral.There is also opportunity for patient to direct-access to physiotherapist instead of doctor in public sector in some municipalies in Finland.

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