For the purposes of this standard, identity, culture, and individual characteristics refer to an individual’s personal traits and the communities to which the person belongs. This can include but is not limited to characteristics such as physical appearance, body size and shape, use of mobility aids, and identity factors such as religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity, or social group. All individuals inhabit more than one social location and possess a unique combination of identities and individual characteristics.
Standard
The physiotherapist demonstrates respect towards people of all identities, cultures, and individual characteristics and seeks to provide safe, equitable access to physiotherapy services incorporating an anti-discrimination approach to all aspects of physiotherapy service delivery.
Expected outcomes
Clients can expect that the physiotherapist will demonstrate respect and seek to provide care that is safe, equitable, and inclusive of the client’s identity, culture, and individual characteristics.
Performance expectations
Reflective practice and education
The physiotherapist:
- Identifies, reflects on, and does not act on any stereotypes or assumptions they may hold about a client based on the client’s identity, culture, or individual characteristics.
- Reflects on how their privileges, biases, values, belief structures, behaviours, and positions of power may impact the therapeutic relationship with clients.
- Responds to feedback on their own behaviour towards clients in relation to respect for the client’s identity, culture, and individual characteristics.
- Participates in ongoing education on privilege, discrimination, systems of oppression, social determinants of health, cultural safety and cultural humility, and social justice.
- Learns about the negative effects of discrimination and trauma and their impacts on clients during health-care experiences.
Creating safe health-care experiences
- Works to identify, address, prevent, and eliminate discrimination within the practice setting and their sphere of influence.
- Takes appropriate action when they observe others acting in a discriminatory manner by:
- Helping others to identify and eliminate discriminatory attitudes, language, or behaviour.
- Supporting clients, colleagues, and others who experience and/or report acts of discrimination.
- Reporting acts of discrimination to leadership and other appropriate authorities.
- Creates safe, equitable health-care experiences free from discrimination for the client by seeking to understand how the client’s identity, culture, individual characteristics, values, and beliefs may affect their experience of care, incorporating this understanding in all aspects of physiotherapy service delivery.
- Treats clients with respect and empathy by:
- Recognizing that bias (implicit and explicit) negatively affects client care and patient outcomes.
- Acknowledging and respecting the client’s identity, culture, and individual characteristics.
- Being open to learning from the client and others, listening to and seeking to understand the client’s lived experiences.
- Treating clients and their families with compassion.
- Providing the client with the necessary time and space to share their needs and goals.
- Providing clear information about the physiotherapy options available, including information about what the client may experience during the health-care encounter.
- Communicating information in a way that is understandable to the client.
- Adjusts their approach to address the client’s physical, mental/emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs.
- Facilitates the involvement of the client’s family and others when desired by the client.
Strengths-based and trauma-informed practice
- Works with the client to incorporate their personal strengths that will support the achievement of their health and physiotherapy goals.
- Recognizes the potential presence of trauma in a client’s life and adapts their approach to be thoughtful and respectful of this, including seeking permission before engaging in assessments or treatments.
- Recognizes that trauma may affect how clients view, access, experience, and interact with the health-care system.
Related Standards
- Communication
- Continuing Competence
- Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility
