Advanced. Contextual. Transformational.
Lead the evidence. Change the practice.
CPTPlus recognises the changing landscape of health and healthcare.
Leadership, advocacy and innovation are key skills of the future. CPTPlus aims to develop these competencies in graduates with the vision of driving better health for all.
Programme starts: 1 February 2027
Blended learning | Self-directed learning | Facilitated learning | Three in-person practical weekends

REGISTER NOW
For CAPE TOWN or JOHANNESBURG:  Contact Tammy at sigadmin@saphysio.co.za

1. COURSE INFORMATION

BUILD THE SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE OF CARDIOPULMONARY PHYSIOTHERAPY
Healthcare is changing, and the role of the physiotherapist is changing with it.
CPTPlus develops physiotherapists who can think critically, communicate their clinical reasoning, apply evidence confidently and contribute to better cardiopulmonary care within the realities of South African healthcare.
Leadership, advocacy, evidence-based practice, reflection, clinical excellence and digital literacy are woven throughout the programme.
The aim is not simply to build knowledge, but to develop physiotherapists who can apply that knowledge confidently within their own clinical environments and contribute to better health for all.

2. HOW THIS COURSE IS DIFFERENT

CPTPLUS GOES FAR BEYOND THE ICU
CPTPlus is emphatically not a course only for ICU physiotherapists.
It is designed for the full spectrum of physiotherapy practice, including:
• Acute hospital wards
• General medicine and surgery
• ICU and critical care
• Outpatient services
• Community health centres
• Primary care clinics
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Chronic disease management
• Academic and teaching roles

Whether a physiotherapist is working with a ventilated ICU patient, a post-cardiac surgery ward patient, a community-based COPD patient or a patient managing chronic heart failure at home, CPTPlus builds the competencies needed for confident, evidence-informed and person-centred care.

3. COURSE OBJECTIVES

Through the programme, participants will develop their ability to:
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the holistic management of individuals with cardiopulmonary conditions across the lifespan.
• Develop and apply advocacy and leadership skills within their own clinical context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of professional and ethical practice through discussion, written assignments and reflective learning.
• Develop skills that foster lifelong learning through critical reflection.

4. SEVEN CORE COMPETENCY DOMAINS

CPTPlus is explicitly designed around competency development across seven domains. These competencies are the outcome of the full integrated curriculum rather than individual modules in isolation.

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE
Conduct comprehensive, ICF-structured assessment and develop advanced, evidence-informed interventions for health promotion, disease prevention, rehabilitation and palliation across clinical settings.

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Critically appraise literature, formulate clinical questions and translate evidence into clinical decisions and service-development arguments.

COMMUNICATION & MDT LEADERSHIP
Communicate clinical reasoning effectively across multidisciplinary teams and facilitate goal-setting conversations with patients, families and healthcare teams.

ADVOCACY & HEALTH SYSTEMS NAVIGATION
Identify barriers to rehabilitation, construct evidence-based advocacy arguments and contribute to quality improvement within resource-constrained environments.

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
Use structured reflective frameworks to strengthen clinical practice, identify personal development priorities and support ongoing professional growth.

CULTURAL & CONTEXTUAL COMPETENCE
Apply clinical knowledge within South African and other low- and middle-income healthcare realities, considering social determinants of health and diverse patient populations.

TECHNOLOGY & DIGITAL LITERACY
Use contemporary digital tools, AI-supported evidence retrieval, digital learning environments and online clinical resources appropriately.

5. AN INTEGRATED LEARNING JOURNEY

CPTPlus is not a collection of standalone modules.
Five conceptual threads run through the entire curriculum, appearing across modules, reinforcing one another and building towards an integrated clinical identity.

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Evidence-based practice is not simply taught as one module. It becomes a lens through which participants approach clinical decisions throughout the programme.

THE ICF FRAMEWORK
The ICF framework provides a shared clinical language that is progressively applied to assessment, outcome measurement, acute care, rehabilitation and complex clinical cases.

ADVOCACY & LEADERSHIP
Every module considers how clinical knowledge can be used to advocate for better care, strengthen services and improve patient outcomes.

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
Reflection is embedded throughout the learning journey, helping participants turn knowledge into professional growth and clinical identity.

SOUTH AFRICAN & LMIC CONTEXT
The programme starts from South African healthcare realities rather than simply adapting international content. South Africa's burden of disease, TB-associated lung disease, cardiovascular disease, public-sector realities, resource constraints and community-based rehabilitation are considered throughout the programme.

6. HOW THE COURSE WORKS

CPTPlus recognises participants as adult learners who bring their own professional knowledge and experience into the learning environment.
Participants are active co-creators of their learning.
Carefully curated self-directed learning is combined with skilled facilitation and three in-person contact weekends, providing opportunities to consolidate and apply knowledge, clinical skills and competencies alongside peers and experts in the field.

7. YOUR CPTPLUS LEARNING JOURNEY

PRE-COURSE – PREPARING TO LEARN
Before the science comes the foundation: research ethics, AI tools and contemporary digital learning. CPTPlus prepares participants to learn like a 21st-century clinician from day one.

MODULE 1 – FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICE
Why does cardiopulmonary rehabilitation matter in South Africa - a country carrying HIV/AIDS, TB, trauma and NCDs simultaneously? This module explores the burden of disease through advocacy, leadership and the realities of South African healthcare.

MODULE 2 – EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Can you appraise a research paper, grade the evidence and turn research into clinical action? This module develops evidence-based practice skills that strengthen both clinical decision-making and advocacy.

MODULE 3 – ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY
Know your science deeply. This module covers advanced cardiopulmonary physiology, exercise physiology and the pathophysiology behind common South African conditions. It provides the scientific foundation on which the rest of the programme is built.

MODULE 4 – ASSESSMENT & ICF
The ICF framework changes how you see your patient - and how your team hears you. This module develops comprehensive, MDT-ready assessment and clinical communication that goes beyond the diagnosis.

MODULE 5 – FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT & OUTCOMES
From the six-minute walk test to CPET, wearables and health-related quality-of-life tools, this module develops outcome-measurement skills that make clinical reasoning visible, measurable and defensible.

MODULE 6 – ICU & ACUTE MANAGEMENT
Explore ventilators, early mobilisation, post-ICU syndrome and the patient journey from critical care through the ward and into recovery. The module considers both the ICU environment and the rehabilitation journey that follows.

MODULE 7 – CHRONIC REHABILITATION
Explore pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation within the realities of South African healthcare. This includes community-based and resource-constrained environments and considers how meaningful rehabilitation can be delivered with the resources available.

MODULE 8 – CAPSTONE CASES
Everything comes together. Participants apply the full CPTPlus curriculum to complex South African patient cases, integrating clinical reasoning, assessment, evidence, rehabilitation, advocacy and patient context.

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
Problem-based learning runs throughout the programme rather than existing as a standalone module. Eight South African cases are revisited progressively as new modules deepen participants' knowledge and clinical reasoning. This is where learning becomes integrated clinical practice.

8. KEY PROGRAMME DATES

Programme starts:  1 February 2027
Practical Weekend 1:  13-14 March 2027
Practical Weekend 2:  24-25 July 2027
Practical Weekend 3:  18-19 September 2027

Cape Town: Tygerberg Campus, Stellenbosch University
Johannesburg: Venue to be confirmed

9. COURSE FEES

Non-member:  R38,000
SASP Member:  R29,000
CPRG Member:  R24,000

Flexible payment options are available. Participants can either pay the full course fee or make use of an instalment payment structure.

10. READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?

CPTPlus 2027 starts on 1 February 2027.
Develop the clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, leadership and practical skills needed to contribute meaningfully to cardiopulmonary care across South African healthcare settings.

REGISTER NOW
For CAPE TOWN or JOHANNESBURG:  Contact Tammy at sigadmin@saphysio.co.za