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Educational criteria for physical therapy providers vary from state to state and from country to country, and among various levels of professional responsibility. Most U.S. states have physical therapy practice acts that recognize both physical therapists (PT) and physical therapist assistants (PTA) and some jurisdictions also recognize physical therapy technicians (PT Techs) or aides. Most countries have licensing bodies that require physical therapists to be a member of before they can start practising as independent professionals. Physical Therapists__ The primary physical therapy practitioner is the Physical Therapist (PT) who is trained and licensed to examine, evaluate, diagnose and treat impairment, functional limitations and disabilities in patients or clients. Currently, most Physical Therapist education curricula in the United States culminate in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree,[24] but many currently practising PTs hold a Master of Physical Therapy degree and some hold a Bachelor's degree. The World Confederation of Physical Therapy (WCPT) recognizes there is considerable diversity in the social, economic, cultural, and political environments in which physical therapist education is conducted throughout the world. WCPT recommends physical therapist entry-level educational programs be based on university or university-level studies, of a minimum of four years, independently validated and accredited as being at a standard that accords graduates full statutory and professional recognition.[2] WCPT acknowledges there is innovation and variation in program delivery and in entry-level qualifications, including first university degrees (Bachelors/Baccalaureate/Licensed or equivalent), Masters and Doctorate entry qualifications. What is expected is that any program should deliver a curriculum that will enable physical therapists to attain the knowledge, skills, and attributes described in these guidelines. Professional education prepares physical therapists to be autonomous practitioners, that may work in collaboration with other members of the health care team.[citation needed] Curricula in the United States are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). As of 2011, APTA reports that 222 out of 227 entry-level professional degree programs accredited in the United States are at the doctoral level.[24] According to CAPTE, as of 2012 there are 25,660 students currently enrolled in 210 accredited PT programs in the United States.[25] The physical therapist professional curriculum is as rigorous as the traditional medical curricula and includes content and learning experiences in the clinical sciences (e.g., content about the cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, metabolic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, integumentary, musculoskeletal, and neuromuscular systems and the medical and surgical conditions frequently seen by physical therapists). Curricula for the Physical Therapist professional degree include: Screening to determine when patients/clients need further examination or consultation by a physical therapist or referral to another health care professional. Examination: Examine patients/clients by obtaining a history from them and from other sources. Examine patients/clients by performing systems reviews. Examine patients/clients by selecting and administering culturally appropriate and age related tests and measures. Tests and measures include, but are not limited to, those that assess: a. Aerobic Capacity/Endurance, b. Anthropometric Characteristics, c. Arousal, Attention, and Cognition, d. Assistive and Adaptive Devices, e. Circulation (Arterial, Venous, Lymphatic), f. Cranial and Peripheral Nerve Integrity, g. Environmental, Home, and Work (Job/School/Play) Barriers, h. Ergonomics and Body Mechanics, i. Gait, Locomotion, and Balance, j. Integumentary Integrity, k. Joint Integrity and Mobility, l. Motor Function (Motor Control and Motor Learning), m. Muscle Performance (including Strength, Power, and Endurance), n. Neuromotor Development and Sensory Integration, o. Orthotic, Protective, and Supportive Devices, p. Pain, q. Posture, r. Prosthetic Requirements, s. Range of Motion (including Muscle Length), t. Reflex Integrity, u. Self-Care and Home Management (including activities of daily living [ADL] and instrumental activities of daily living [IADL]), v. Sensory Integrity, w. Ventilation and Respiration/Gas Exchange, x. Work (Job/School/Play), Community, and Leisure Integration or Reintegration (including IADL) Evaluation: Evaluate data from the examination (history, systems review, and tests and measures) to make clinical judgments regarding patients/clients. Diagnosis: Determine a diagnosis that guides future patient/client management. Prognosis: Determine patient/client prognoses. Plan of Care: Collaborate with patients/clients, family members, payers, other professionals, and other individuals to determine a plan of care that is acceptable, realistic, culturally competent, and patient-centered. Intervention:Provide physical therapy interventions to achieve patient/client goals and outcomes. Interventions include: a. Therapeutic Exercise, b. Functional Training in Self-Care and Home Management, c. Functional Training in Work (Job/School/Play), Community, and Leisure Integration or Reintegration, d. Manual Therapy Techniques (including Mobilization/Manipulation Thrust and Nonthrust Techniques), e. Prescription, Application, and, as Appropriate, Fabrication of Devices and Equipment, f. Airway Clearance Techniques, g. Integumentary Repair and Protection Techniques, h. Electrotherapeutic Modalities, Provide effective culturally competent instruction to patients/clients and others to achieve goals and outcomes. Prevention, Health Promotion, Fitness, and Wellness: Provide culturally competent physical therapy services for prevention, health promotion, fitness, and wellness to individuals, groups, and communities. Apply principles of prevention to defined population groups. Students completing a Doctor of Physical Therapy program are also required to successfully complete clinical internships prior to graduation. In Canada__ In the province of Quebec, prospective physiotherapists are required to have completed a college diploma in either health sciences, which lasts on average two years, or physical rehabilitation technology, which lasts at least three years, to apply to a physiotherapy program or program in university. Following admission, physical therapy students work on a bachelor of science with a major in physical therapy and rehabilitation. The B.Sc. usually requires three years to complete. Students must then enter graduate school to complete a master's degree in physical therapy, which normally requires one and a half to two years of study. Graduates who obtain their M.Sc. must successfully pass the membership examination to become member of the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ). Physiotherapists can pursue their education in such fields as rehabilitation sciences, sports medicine, kinesiology, and physiology. Many provinces in Canada have changed their Bachelors in Physiotherapy degree program with the 3 years of college / university pre-requisite into a Masters in Physiotherapy with the requirement of a Bachelors Degree including certain pre-requisite courses. Physical Therapist Assistants__ Physical therapist assistants may deliver treatment and physical interventions for patients and clients under a care plan established by and under the supervision of a physical therapist. Physical therapist assistants in the United States are currently trained under associate of applied sciences curricula specific to the profession, as outlined and accredited by CAPTE. As of August 2011, there were 276 accredited two-year (Associate degree) programs for physical therapist assistants In the United States of America.[26] According to CAPTE, as of 2012 there are 10,598 students currently enrolled in 280 accredited PTA programs in the United States.[25] Curricula for the physical therapist assistant associate degree include:[27] Anatomy & physiology Exercise physiology Human biology Physics Biomechanics Kinesiology Neuroscience Clinical pathology Behavioral sciences Communication Ethics Research Other coursework as required by individual programs. Physical Therapy Technicians or Aides__ Some jurisdictions allow physical therapists to employ technicians or aides or therapy assistants to perform designated routine tasks related to physical therapy under the direct supervision of a physical therapist. Some jurisdictions require physical therapy technicians or aides to be certified, and education and certification requirements vary among jurisdictions. In Canada__ In the province of Quebec, physical rehabilitation technicians (also known as physical therapy technicians) are health care professionals who are required to complete a three year college diploma program in physical rehabilitation technology and successfully pass the membership examinations of the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ) in order to practise legally in the country. Most physical rehabilitation technicians complete their college diploma at Collège Montmorency, Dawson College, or Cégep Marie-Victorin, all situated in and around the Montreal area. After completing their technical college diploma, graduates have the opportunity to pursue their studies at the university level to perhaps obtain a bachelor's degree in physiotherapy, kinesiology, exercise science, or occupational therapy. The Université de Montréal and the Université de Sherbrooke are among the Québécois universities that admit physical rehabilitation technicians in their programs of study related to health sciences and rehabilitation in order to credit courses that were completed in college. In the United States of America__ Job duties and education requirements for Physical Therapy Technicians or Aides may vary according to employer, but education requirements range from high school diploma or equivalent to completion of a 2-year degree program.[28] O-Net reports that 64% of PT Aides/Techs have a high school diploma or equivalent, 21% have completed some college but hold no degree, and 10% hold an Associate's Degree.[29] |
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