Chula’s Faculty of Allied Health Science Provides Physical Therapy Services to the Community 

The Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with local public health officials, conducted community outreach by offering physical therapy services to residents and patients in Thepharak Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Prakan Province. The activity aims to provide fourth-year physical therapy students (Academic Year 2025) with hands-on experience delivering physical therapy services to local communities. 

The project involved surveying and analyzing health problems, planning and delivering physical therapy services to help alleviate issues, visiting households for treatment, designing exercise tools suited to each patient, and evaluating service outcomes. 

During the 8th Community Physical Therapy Service Project, faculty members and students from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, provided consultations and treatments to about 150 residents and patients in the Thepharak area. Close to 100% of the patients expressed satisfaction with the project’s activities and stated that they could continue performing the prescribed exercises independently at home. 

As Associate Professor Somnuke Gulsatitporn, Deputy Dean for Administration and Academic Services, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, explained, “This project is part of the fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy course. Students must go into local communities to provide physical therapy services, giving them the opportunity to interact directly with patients who need physiotherapy but reside in remote areas.” 

Collaboration with Local Hospitals for Greater Community Reach 

Assoc. Prof. Somnuke added that the 8th project, held from October to December 2024, was conducted in cooperation with Thepharak Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital. Before beginning their fieldwork, hospital directors provided demographic data and information on local public health issues. Faculty members then trained students on community research methods, survey design, and use of assessment tools. Field visits took place every other weekend over two months, including five follow-up sessions with returning patients. 

Dr. Sudarat Borisut, a lecturer in the Department of Physical Therapy, who joined the fieldwork, noted, “Students were divided into groups and accompanied by Chulalongkorn faculty, local health officers, and village health volunteers. The teams visited households to collect data on physical therapy-related health issues. The gathered data from each community network were then analyzed collectively.” 

Student-Invented Rehabilitation Tools 

In addition to providing direct care and advice, students learned to creatively use local materials to design simple, cost-effective rehabilitation tools suited to each patient. 

Assistant Professor Phusita Bolisutthikul, a faculty member who joined the visits, shared an example, “Some patients suffered from frozen shoulders. The students designed pulley systems for shoulder exercises tailored to fit home spaces. They presented the prototypes to health officers, tested them with real patients, and created posters explaining proper usage.” 

Assoc. Prof. Somnuke added, “Since commercial exercise equipment can be expensive, students learned to repurpose local or recycled materials to make practical devices for villagers. They not only designed and tested the tools but also evaluated patients’ progress. These experiences will benefit them in creating more advanced health innovations in the future.” 

Community Satisfaction, Student Pride 

Initial services included patient interviews and physical examinations—such as measuring the range of motion and muscle strength in patients with frozen shoulders. After 4–5 sessions, students re-evaluated the patients and compared progress before and after treatment. 

“After the project ended, local health officers continued to monitor patients. Village health volunteers were instructed to regularly check if patients followed the students’ advice and to gather additional feedback from the community,” said Assoc. Prof. Somnuke. 

The project’s evaluation had two components: student performance assessments by faculty and local health teams, and feedback from service recipients. 

“Almost 100% of the villagers expressed great satisfaction with having physical therapy services delivered right to their homes,” he added. 

“This project revealed that many people in need of physiotherapy cannot access hospital care—some are bedridden or lack caregivers, while others cannot afford to travel. By visiting homes, students discovered that home-based healthcare services could significantly improve Thailand’s public health system. Villagers deeply appreciated the initiative and hoped it would be held regularly, even though it currently runs only during the academic semester,” said Assoc. Prof. Somnuke. 

Valuable Experience and Social Impact 

Asst. Prof. Phusita noted, “Students gained pride in their profession by helping people who cannot easily access care. As Thailand’s elderly population continues to grow and physical therapy specialists remain limited, this experience inspires students to pursue careers that contribute to public health and elderly care.” 

Assoc. Prof. Somnuke concluded, “All physical therapy students in Thailand must complete around 1,000 hours of clinical training, mostly in hospitals. However, this community project allows them to see patients’ living conditions and daily activities, helping them better understand real causes of illness and develop empathy for those unable to access treatment. It teaches them to be compassionate and socially responsible professionals.” 

The Community Physical Therapy Service Project not only benefits local residents but also equips Chulalongkorn students with the practical knowledge, skills, and empathy to serve as capable, compassionate physical therapists—ready to contribute to Thailand’s healthcare development in the future. 

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