I might add that we may want to consider changing the language that we use rather than just simply focusing on scopes of practice, looking at complementary skills, complementary scopes of practice. Because of this overlap, it is about working together.
Through primary health care models, for example, if there's enough flexibility at the systems level there is a possibility to have many different professions working within a primary health care team. Then the local level decision-maker, who knows the demographic being looked at and the types of clients being seen on a very regular basis, can make the decisions around resource allocation and the inclusion of specific skill sets or specific professionals.
It goes beyond just working within the rehabilitation community, looking at physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and so on. We could integrate physiotherapy assistants and other rehab assistants into programs. For example, in rural and remote areas, it may be the physiotherapist who goes in on an intermittent basis to provide overall programs, but there could be assistants who are trained to be able to deliver the day-to-day programming.
That's a way of looking at the resources within a community and within a team, and allocating those resources most efficiently by using assistants rather than always looking to the physiotherapist as the go-to person.
