[Physiotherapists in private practice in France].

In France, most of the physiotherapists providing ambulatory care are in private practice: they are paid on a fee-for-service basis by the patients who are reimbursed by the Sickness Insurance Fund. A survey on a sample of 2000 (out of 40,000) private practitioners was undertaken in early 2004. As concerns their workload, only 4% think that it is "not sufficient" whereas 66% estimate it "certainly sufficient". Such a feature is noteworthy, as private practitioners are most often fearful of lack of work. In the coming years, one physiotherapist out of 10 envisages to increase his workload, whereas 27% are in favour of a reduction. Furthermore, the survey shows that more than one third of private physiotherapists plan to offer to patients services which are not listed in the contractual agreement document signed by their profession and the Sickness Insurance Fund. The trend is most noticeable among the young practitioners. As the feeling of medical doctors shortage is currently widespread in France, the public debates are focused on the issue of task delegation. After the survey, 54% private physiotherapists are in favour of task delegation, 24% have an opposite opinion and 22% do not express a clear-cut position. However, an in-depth analysis of the written answers to the question shows that a large majority do not accept to replace medical doctors for performing the tasks which are of a subordinate level, are not significant or are time-consuming (e.g. filling out the administrative forms). The question of vocabulary is fundamental in the matter. Moreover, a process of task delegation implies that certain tasks carried out by an overburdened profession are transferred to an other profession less heavily surcharged. Is it the case of French private physiotherapists whose two thirds declare that "their workload is certainly sufficient"?