We are writing to share a set of freely accessible resources now available through Digi4MSK, a European Erasmus+ Alliance for Innovation project focused on improving musculoskeletal health literacy and closing the persistent gap between research evidence and clinical practice.
EFIC contributed to this project alongside universities, healthcare institutions, patient organisations, and digital health experts. The project's starting point is a well-documented challenge in the field: the average transition time from scientific evidence to clinical application and public knowledge is around 17 years. The resources developed through Digi4MSK are a direct response to this.
Two key resources are now available, supporting education, implementation, and knowledge-translation activities in MSK pain:
Online Course for Healthcare Professionals - A structured course running monthly from April to September 2026, grounded in a biopsychosocial framework. The course covers evidence-based self-management principles, patient education, communication strategies, and clinical red flag identification, and includes video content, clinical examples, and downloadable materials. It may be particularly relevant for postgraduate education and continuing professional development.
Book of Good Practices - 26 clinical vignettes with practical guidance on behaviour change, health literacy, and person-centred communication, designed to bridge research and everyday clinical encounters.
We believe these resources would be a useful addition to the professional development and educational content your network supports, and we would welcome any opportunity to share them more widely through your channels.
All resources are free of charge and available in English, Spanish, Danish, German, and Italian. Find the full overview at digi4msk.eu.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or would like to explore ways to promote these resources to your members.
With kind regards,
Marta Bartnicka On behalf of the European Pain Federation EFIC Ta e-poštni naslov je zaščiten proti smetenju. Potrebujete Javascript za pogled. | europeanpainfederation.eu
Na webinarju je prof. dr. Andraž Stožer, dr. med., predstavil mehanizem delovanja terapije recoveriX ter njene učinke in pomen v sodobni nevrorehabilitaciji. Predavanje je zajelo povezavo med motorično predstavo, možgansko-računalniškim vmesnikom (BCI), funkcionalno električno stimulacijo (FES), nevrofeedbackom in drugimi elementi terapije, ki lahko podpirajo izboljšanje funkcionalnosti, nadzora gibanja ter izvajanja vsakodnevnih aktivnosti pri osebah z nevrološkimi boleznimi in poškodbami.
Več informacij, povzetek in posnetek celotnega webinarja so dostopni tukaj:
moje ime je Tanja Goltnik, mag. psihologije, in sem zaposlena kot mlada raziskovalka v laboratoriju za motnje gibanja na Nevrološki kliniki UKC Ljubljana, kjer se klinično in raziskovalno ukvarjam s funkcijskimi nevrološkimi motnjami. Sem tudi ustanoviteljica in predsednica društva FNM (Za)Upanje Slovenija, prvega slovenskega društva na tem področju, ki si prizadeva za večjo ozaveščenost ter izboljšanje obravnave na državni ravni.
V sodelovanju s kolegi na Nevrološki kliniki želimo vzpostaviti boljšo terapevtsko mrežo za osebe s funkcijskimi nevrološkimi motnjami, da bi jih lahko po postavitvi diagnoze usmerjali k ustreznim strokovnjakom v njihovem lokalnem okolju.
Funkcijski simptomi so drugi najpogostejši razlog za napotitev k nevrologu, po trenutnih ocenah naj bi motnjo imelo več tisoč Slovencev. Delovna terapija ima ključno vlogo pri obravnavi različnih podtipov funkcijske nevrološke motnje.
V ta namen smo pripravili kratko anketo (manj kot 3 minute), s katero želimo pridobiti osnovni vpogled v to, kdo se s to populacijo že srečuje ter kdo bi želel biti obveščen o prihodnjih izobraževanjih in možnostih sodelovanja.
Zelo bi vam bila hvaležna, če bi anketo lahko posredovali med delovne terapevte.
Delavnica Learn to Play Therapy, ki bo potekala preko aplikacije Zoom v angleškem jeziku, od 1. do 3. junija 2026.
Date:
Monday 1st June, Tuesday 2nd June and Wednesday 3rd June 2026 from 9am - 1pm CEST UTC +2.
Cost:
AUD$ 777.27 for international registrants. The cost on the website includes GST (AUD$855), however once the international address is added to the checkout, the GST will be removed from the price. There is also an additional 10% discount on the international price if 5 or more tickets are purchased at the same time.
Description:
Our Part 1 workshop is an introduction to the evidence-based, child-centred Learn To Play Therapy approach, designed to develop complex pretend play skills in children. More complex pretend play is linked to stronger social competence, language, creativity, self-regulation, and problem solving. This workshop equips practitioners with the knowledge and tools to support children who, due to their developmental profile or environment, may not naturally develop these play skills — and as a result, may need additional support across other areas of development. The Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist (PPE-DC) is included in the workshop cost and will be used throughout to help identify children's developmental play strengths and interests.
The workshop consists of a mixture of lecture style presentation with question time available, case studies, video analysis and practice of the key skills involved in the process of Learn to Play Therapy. This workshop would be valuable to therapists, social workers, psychologists and early intervention workers who work with families with children under 8 years of age who have concerns about their child’s abilities.
Format:
Online over Zoom, run in English. Live translation subtitles available for some languages via Zoom.
WFOT hosted a successful Congress in in Bangkok, Thailand 9-12 February 2026 with more than 2400 delegates from 96 countries. Keynote speakers, symposia, nine concurrent streams of short presentations, plus lightning talks and poster sessions were featured over the course of the event. WFOT appreciated all those who were able to travel to Bangkok to participate in the Congress. For those unable to join WFOT at the Congress, catch the excitement of the event by viewing the highlights at the link below.
The closing ceremony of the Congress marked the ending of the term of office of Samantha Shann as President of WFOT. During the closing, Samantha reflected on a journey as President that provided the opportunity for building meaningful partnerships. Her journey shaped her both personally and as an occupational therapist by working with and being inspired by occupational therapists from around the world. Samantha thanked the many people who trusted and supported her in her role, and shared with her their many and diverse perspectives of occupational therapy.
Go to the WFOT website for Samantha’s remarks at the Congress Closing Ceremony.
Dr. Tecla Mlambo was introduced during the Congress closing ceremony as the incoming President of WFOT, the first occupational therapist from the African region to assume this role. Tecla was humbled by the opportunity to assume the Presidency and pledged her commitment to leading with integrity, transparency and collaboration to advance the work of WFOT. She encouraged the profession to work together, as together more can be achieved to strengthen our professional voice and advocate for occupational therapy to be accessible to all.
The WFOT Board for 2026-2028 was introduced at the Congress, including:
• Tecla Mlambo, President • Kee Hean Lim, Board Director - Education • Athena Yi-Jung Tsai, Board Director - Finance • Consuelo Alzamora, Board Director - Practice • Annika Lexén, Board Director – Research • René Lejeune – Member At Large • Ritchard Ledgerd, Executive Director (ex-officio)
WFOT acknowledges significant contributions to WFOT by past Executive Management Team members, and contributors to significant projects through its prestigious service award called the Merit Award. 2024 and 2026 WFOT award winners were recognised during the Congress Awards and Recognition session. WFOT congratulated the following award winners:
WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research
The aim of the WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research is to provide funding for pilot projects or small-scale feasibility projects that can build and/or strengthen research capacity in occupational therapy. The recipient of the 2026 WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research is Vera Kaelin. Vera will be working with co-investigator Kristin Ann Carandang on the research project entitled Competencies for Occupational Therapists and Occupational Scientists in an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Influenced Context: A Delphi Study.
WFOT Collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO)
WFOT has been in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1959. The relationship is subject to a triennial review based on agreed outcomes that form the WFOT/WHO Collaboration Plan. WFOT was commended by the WHO Executive Board at its 158th session in February 2026 for the continuing dedication of the Federation for supporting the work of WHO. A decision was therefore made to maintain WFOT in official relations with WHO.
A General Assembly Meeting with representatives of WFOT member organisations was held in Bangkok, prior to the 2026 WFOT Congress. Decisions of the General Assembly included the approval of the following new members:
• Maldives (Associate member) • Moldova (Associate member) • Hungary (Associate member) • Sint Maarten (Associate member) • United Arab Emirates (Associate member) • Mongolia (Full member) • Vietnam (Full member)
With the approval of these new members, WFOT now has 88 Full members, 23 Associate members and 6 Regional groups.
The General Assembly approved a 2026 version of the Minimum Standards for the Education of Occupational Therapists. The Minimum Competencies of Occupational Therapists, were also approved, a new WFOT document that describes the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours expected of graduates from an occupational therapy education programme.
The 2026 version of the Minimum Standards (Minimum Standards for the Education of Occupational Therapists and the Minimum Competencies of Occupational Therapists) are now available in English on the WFOT website. French, German and Spanish versions will be posted as the translations become available. The website information includes questions & answers, plus a video that explains the development and key changes included in the Education Standards.
It is planned that the new WFOT Education Standards will be fully implemented for WFOT approval of education programmes in 2028. Education programmes due for approval in 2027 may elect to use either the 2016 or 2026 version of the Education Standards.
We would like to share with you a series of webinars entitled “The health and care workforce – from crisis to capacities” being organised by WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Policies and Planning, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal), in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Health Policy/Elsevier Publisher, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, EUPHA, the EUPHA section Health and Care Workforce, and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Leadership and Workforce Development, Maastricht University (the Netherlands).
WFOT invites occupational therapists, assistants and students from around the world to share their vision for the future of our profession.
What excites you about occupational therapy?
What trends and issues will shape our future?
How can we embrace emerging opportunities?
What challenges do we need to consider - and what strategies can help us succeed?
We are collecting short video messages that reflect your hopes, ideas and inspiration for the future of occupational therapy. Selected videos will be featured at the WFOT Congress 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand and may also appear on the WFOT website and other promotional initiatives.
To participate, simply record a short video of yourself sharing your thoughts on the future of occupational therapy - in just 20 to 50 words - and upload it via this link: https://wfot.link/future-of-the-profession
Please disseminate throughout your networks, your contribution is appreciated,
Kind regards, Ritchard Ledgerd MSc, BScOT, FWFOT Executive Director Ta e-poštni naslov je zaščiten proti smetenju. Potrebujete Javascript za pogled.
Objavljamo izročke predavanja "Utrujenost od sočutja", ki je bilo predstavljeno na strokovnem srečanju delovnih terapevtov, 2. decembra 2025 na URI Soča
