Importance of physiotherapeutic diagnostics

Abstract

All healthcare professionals have a legal and moral obligation to make a diagnosis (reasoned assessment of the circumstances that occur in the healthcare process that is going to be initiated in the patient). The doctor in his field will proceed to make a medical diagnosis and physiotherapists who work as independent professionals, as well as members of health service provider teams, are subject to the ethical principles of the WCPT (World Confederation for Physical Therapy). They can act as first contact professionals, and patients/clients can request direct services without needing to be referred by another healthcare professional. By making their own kinetic-functional or physiotherapeutic diagnosis and the required intervention plan, according to the patient's pathology. The physiotherapeutic diagnosis is the process that identifies and describes the functional alterations of movement and the physical deficiencies of a patient. This diagnosis focuses on movement limitations, pain, strength, balance, posture, and other factors that affect physical function, rather than identifying specific medical pathologies, as a medical diagnosis would do.