Physiotherapy research symposium - a complete success

Under the motto "Bridging the Gap", the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and the German Society for Physiotherapy Science e.V. (DGPTW) jointly hosted the research symposium from 22 to 23 November 2024.

BTU President Prof. Dr Gesine Grande opened the symposium with reference to Senftenberg as a pioneering location for academisation in the healthcare professions. She informed the audience that from 2026 there will be a university bachelor's degree programme in physiotherapy with a consecutive research master's degree in order to fund young scientists and close the gap to doctoral studies.

The focus of the symposium was  on evidence-based (best possible,  proven effective and based on scientific methods) patient care and the aim of better linking research, teaching and care.

With keynote lectures, renowned officers provided valuable impetus for the diverse scientific programme of lecture and poster sessions as well as numerous workshops on various topics.
Prof. Hans Aage Lund (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences) gave a lecture on "Physiotherapy research and the concept of Evidence-Based Research". Prof. Anne Gärtner (FU Berlin) spoke on "Quality, transparency and reproducibility of research". Prof. Dr Annette Probst (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen) focused on the topic "PTW - big subject, small subject, no subject at all? - Requirements for scientific discipline formation in the science and higher education system in Germany". Assistant Prof. Alessio Bricca, PhD (University of Southern Denmark) shed light on the topic of "Exercise: Your medicine today and tomorrow - A current overview and future perspectives".

The scientific programme was also characterised by information sessions on physiotherapy care research, research data management and research priorities from the perspective of World Physio, the international umbrella organisation in the field of physiotherapy.

After the scientific community was invited to submit abstracts for the 8th Physiotherapy Research Symposium in summer 2024, a total of 121 contributions were accepted after independent review by selected experts, 28 of them as presentations and 93 as posters. The variety of topics presented showed the different research activities in the field of physiotherapy and at the same time encouraged intensive dialogue.

In addition to the meetings of the sections of the German Society for Physiotherapy Science and the annual general meeting of the same, a science slam was organised for the first time at the Physiotherapy Research Symposium. "This set the mood wonderfully for the evening event in the canteen with live music," emphasised Prof. Dr Christian Kopkow. "It should definitely remain a fixed item on the programme of future symposia."

Prof. Dr. Christian Kopkow, head of the chair Therapy Sciences I and the Therapy Sciences study programme at BTU and board member of the DGPTW, who was the scientific director of the 8th Physiotherapy Research Symposium, draws a positive conclusion: "Senftenberg was the epicentre of physiotherapy science for two days, and BTU was more than convincing as a host. While Senftenberg is geographically decentralised in Germany, participants were happy to travel here for two days. Such a large number of participants shows that we were able to put together an attractive programme. I can only thank everyone involved for making the 8th Physiotherapy Research Symposium a complete success".

The 9th Physiotherapy Research Symposium will take place on 21 and 22 November 2025 in Bremen under the motto "You are the Key" (Link: https://www.hs-bremen.de/die-hsb/aktuelles/veranstaltung/9-forschungssymposium-physiotherapie/).