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IHPSO PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Clear standards for responsible Professional Practice.

IHPSO is developing a structured standards framework for Professionals and organisations across Health, Human Performance and adjacent fields – combining universal Professional Standards, field-specific Standards Fields and transparent evidence classification.

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THE FRAMEWORK

Universal Professional Standards. Field-specific standards. One shared framework.

The IHPSO Standards Framework is structured in two layers. Universal Professional Standards define foundational expectations for professional conduct, scope, evidence communication and safety. Standards Fields organize additional field-specific standards. Health is the first Standards Field. This allows shared professional principles to remain stable while field-specific standards can be developed, versioned and reviewed separately.
About IHPSO

UNIVERSAL PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Four foundations for IHPSO Professional Standing.

The first universal IHPSO Standards provide the shared foundation for Professional Membership and Core Education. They apply across Standards Fields within the IHPSO Framework. The standards are made practical through education, assessments and recurring decision frameworks.
Core Education
IHPSO band graphic

Health Standards

The twelve published Health Standards.

Each standard sets out purpose, scope, requirements, related standards, version and review date. Health is the first Standards Field.

12 published standards

PROFESSIONAL METHODOLOGY

Standards should support real decisions.

IHPSO connects standards with recurring decision frameworks. Scope questions are structured through Action, Role, Competence, Rules, Risk, Choice and Review. Evidence is evaluated through Claim, Evidence, Quality, Relevance, Uncertainty and Communication. Safety considers Hazard, Person, Exposure, Evidence, Controls, Decision and Monitor & Review. These models are internal professional tools and are not medical triage, diagnostic, legal or regulatory classification systems.
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STANDARDS FIELDS

Health is the first Standards Field.

Standards Fields organize field-specific standards beneath the universal Professional Standards. Health is the starting point. The architecture is designed to support additional Standards Fields over time in a controlled way. A new Standards Field does not automatically change the universal Professional Standards; it adds field-specific requirements and content.
Health Standards

EVIDENCE CLASSIFICATION

Make evidence strength visible without creating false certainty.

Where Evidence Classification is applicable, IHPSO Standards Entries may use one of five Evidence Levels: ESTABLISHED, SUPPORTED, EMERGING, EXPERIMENTAL or INSUFFICIENT. Classification applies to a specific claim rather than an intervention in the abstract. It is an internal organizational standard for interpreting scientific evidence and does not replace regulatory, clinical or legal assessment.
Evidence Education

  • ESTABLISHED

    Multiple high-quality, direct and broadly consistent sources with meaningful replication.

  • SUPPORTED

    Good relevant evidence with important remaining limitations, less replication or restricted generalizability.

  • EMERGING

    Early positive human signals or a growing evidence base with limited quality, quantity or replication.

  • EXPERIMENTAL

    Mainly pilot data, very early human research, mechanistic, animal or laboratory findings, or insufficiently validated concepts.

  • INSUFFICIENT

    Available evidence is currently inadequate for the specific claim.

STANDARD DETAIL

Each standard follows a transparent structure.

IHPSO Standard Entries are designed to present key information consistently. This includes Standard Number, Title, Short Summary, Category, Standards Field, Purpose, Scope, Requirements, Applies To, Related Standards, Version and Last Reviewed. Where applicable, an Evidence Classification and justification are also recorded.
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VERSION & REVIEW

Standards should remain reviewable and updateable.

Standards may change when new evidence, professional requirements or risks become relevant. The IHPSO data model therefore includes Version and Last Reviewed as defined elements of each standard. Changes should be traceable and should not be presented as though the current version had always applied. The specific review frequency and governance of individual standards are determined by the applicable IHPSO procedures.
Resources

APPLICATION

Standards do not replace professional judgment.

IHPSO Standards support Professional Practice but do not replace individualized medical, legal or regulatory assessment. Professionals must consider their Scope of Practice, applicable requirements and the specific context. Where a standard does not provide a sufficient answer or different expertise is required, specialist advice, referral or choosing not to act remain legitimate professional decisions.
Scope of Practice

Explore the IHPSO Standards Framework.

Explore the universal Professional Standards, discover the Health Standards Field and learn how IHPSO structures evidence and versioning.

Explore Standards

Standards

Field specific Professional Standards, published with a version and review date.

Core Education

Four Core Courses with assessments, required for Professional Membership.

Professional Membership

Annual membership with a permanent Professional ID and a published profile.

Public Registry

Check the current IHPSO status of any published Professional.