The moving generation: editorial

It’s a huge challenge and a privilege to be invited to write about the future! This editorial focuses on move – moving – movements.

I have been working as a leader in healthcare since I was 25, and today I am 60. I have seen a fantastic development in health care. Times have changed, and so has healthcare.

Today we are able to treat disabilities and save lives in a way that we could hardly imagine some years ago.

During my working life, I have seen the possibilities to improve quality and safety in healthcare, but also how executive leaders in health care are challenged; how to handle the never-ending need for better health and quality and at the same time managing the increasing costs in health care?

The last 4–5 years I have been a proud president of the Swedish Association of Physiotherapists (PTs). Proud, because I see the strong scientific development within the profession over the last 20 years. But also, concerned that even though all this knowledge exists, it is not fully used by the society. We as PTs are often standing alongside the influence of policy makers and beside health care development, as we are busy enough with our own professional development. I believe the PTs should be more active and visible in health care development. If we participate in health care development and act as natural partners to politicians, CEOs, and other professions there is a lot to gain. We would be much stronger as profession, if other people, outside our own profession, speaks well of us.

Another area where PTs ought to be more visible is in the area of physical inactivity. Physical inactivity is one of the biggest global challenges that we are facing today. There is a risk that in some years, physical inactivity will be the very greatest risk factor of them all.

PTs should be the natural leaders and experts in the area of physical activity and fighting inactivity, naturally in partnership with the patients and together with other professions.

Over the years The Swedish Association of PTs have developed to a professional organization that is constantly in demand and that is an obvious partner in society and to the authorities. We have worked hard with strategic communication; published many debate articles, met with policy makers, introduced a new website, and frequently used social media. We have told the society that PTs can provide solutions for the future.

One way to increase quality while reducing cost is person centred health care. Person centred health care sees patients as persons who are more than their illness. Person centred care emanates from the patient’s experience of his/her situation and his/her individual conditions, resources and restraints [1,2]. We as PTs ought to be more active in the implementation of person centred health care. We are moving, from FOR the patients, to WITH the patients and soon it will be BY the patients.

In 2012 we started to use the saying: Sitting is the new smoking! Today the need of physical activity and movements is obvious. We need to tell the world the possibilities with movement; we need to provide a movement. In all parts of life, in school, in working life, in elderly care there must be much more movement. And for that the society needs more PTs.

I have a dream, that all over the world, when people meet for conferences, there would feel no long sitting days. Every 20 min, it should feel natural to stand up, take a short break and move a bit. And we as physiotherapists ought to be in the front line, as natural leaders. In a few years, my dream is to see parliament members all over the world stand up for health, to take those short breaks, and at the same time they will think of the great possibilities with PTs and physical activity.

But if this is going to happen, we must be much better to take space in the political arena, in media, to use modern tools, IT, social medias, and our expert knowledge on movement and physical activity. We have to use both empathy and high tech. It’s not about knowing, it’s about doing and making it happen!

If we want to transform health care we need will, idea and execution [3,4] and we have to start with ourselves:

Transform yourself

Transform your team

Transform your organization

Transform your profession

And there is will. In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development [5]. If these goals are accomplished, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. Governments from all these countries have a plan to save our planet and it’s your and my job to make sure they stick to it.

The Global Goals are only going to accomplished if we fight for them and you cannot fight for your rights if you do not know what they are. We believe the goals are only going to be completed if we can make them well known.

Our vision in the Swedish Association of Physiotherapists is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being and movement for all at all ages.

And I do think this is something we need for the future, when we go from Move, Moving to Movement!

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this paper.