Development of Curriculum in the Field of Industrial Physical Therapy

산업물리치료 교과 과정 개발 연구

There are increasing needs for welfare in industrial environments in modern society. Industrial health is one of the most important components of industrial welfare, and it includes maintenance and improvement of physical, mental, and social health of the workers, elimination of factors threatening workers, prevention and early intervention of industrial diseases. In this regards the importance of industrial physical therapy is increasingly recognized and the need of physical therapy in industrial field is increasing. The authors surveyed and analyzed the curricula of the departments of physical therapy to promote development of curriculum or program for educating specialized industrial physical therapists. There are 40 institutes opening the department of physical therapy, 4-year courses in 17 and 3-year courses in 23. Only 2 institutes have subjects that are directly related to industrial health. This means that specific educational program for specialized industrial physicaltherapists is not established yet though there are many needs for industrial health and physical therapy in industrial fields. But many topics or knowledge of industrial health or physical therapy are scattered in several subjects. So we suggest the needs of systematic reorganization of specific curriculum that including ergonomics and prevention and treatment of industrial diseases for education of specialized industrial physical therapist.