A Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program was developed locally for AUBMC physical therapists and implemented starting 2004. The program was approached from two perspectives: professional development and patient empowerment.

In the first perspective professional development, the elements of professionalism provide a clear definition of the profession, including the evaluation of care delivered, as well as the application of evidence-based practice.

The second perspective is related to patient empowerment. Healthcare decisions are no more exclusively taken by healthcare providers. The patient and/or family are involved in the decision-making process. This requires that professionals deliver accurate and high-quality care based on valid concepts that are expressed by clinical guidelines and clinical protocols.