tive regulation of the profession. The sixth edition adds three duties of the Board giving them the power to do background checks, report to an Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Data- base (ELDD), and collect workforce data. It also adds back- ground checks for all PT/PTA applicants (FSBPT, 2016). The APTA provides the following statement concerning ethics and professionalism: Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants should strive to apply principles of altruism, excellence, caring, eth- ics, respect, communication and accountability in working to- gether with other professionals to achieve optimal health and wellness in individuals and communities (APTA, 2015b). The APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee (EJC) provide PTs/PTAs with educational materials, articles, interpretations, and opinions on professional ethics topics to promote ethical practice and deci - sion making. mechanism to ensure respect for persons through provision of thoughtful consent for a voluntary act. The procedures used in obtaining informed consent should be designed to edu- cate the subject population in terms that they can understand. Therefore, informed consent language and its documentation must be written in lay language, that is, understandable to the people being asked to participate. The written presentation of information is used to document the basis for consent and for the subjects’ future reference. Informed consent documents must be revised if any processes change or risks are identi- fied during the course of therapy (Health and Human Services, 2017). ● Fiduciary duty : The highest standard of care. It involves acting in good faith and honesty in the best interest of the patient. Maintaining confidentiality is part of this duty (LII, 2017c). ● Personal bias : Subliminal obstacles that can undermine im- partial decision making. A personal bias commonly introduces unwarranted opinions and feelings into contemplation of an issue, making it hard to come to an objective and neutral deci- sion (Quizlet, 2017). ● Veracity : The principle that one should tell the truth, that hon - esty is the best policy (LaSalle, 2005).
level and continuing competence, and public and professional awareness of resources for public protection (FSBPT, 2017). The FSBPT continues to support research and evidence-based practice to advance the profession and provides information and support to state regulatory boards. The Model Practice Act is one tool developed by FSBPT: The Model Practice Act for Physical Therapy: A Tool for Public Protection and Legislative Change (MPA) is the preeminent standard and most effective tool available for revising and modernizing physical therapy practice acts. This [act] is en- acted for the purpose of protecting the public health, safety, and welfare, and provides for jurisdiction administrative con- trol, supervision, licensure, and regulation of the practice of physical therapy. The continuing movement to update physical therapy practice acts helps ensure that these documents provide the legal au- thority to fully protect the public while allowing for the effec- Glossary ● Altruism : The primary regard for or devotion to the interest of patients/clients, thus assuming the fiduciary responsibility of placing the needs of the patient/client ahead of the physical therapist’s self-interest (APTA, 2013a). ● Autonomy : Self-directing, freedom from the will of others, in- cluding moral independence (Merriam-Webster, 2017). ● Bright-line rule : An objective rule that resolves a legal issue in a straightforward, predictable manner. A bright-line rule is easy to administer and produces certain—though arguably, not always—equitable results (LII, 2017a). ● Dual or multiple relationships : A multiple relationship occurs when a therapist or assistant is in a professional role with a person and (1) at the same time is in another role with the same person, (2) at the same time is in a relationship with a person closely associated with or related to the person with whom the therapist has the professional relationship, or (3) promises to enter into another relationship in the future with the person or a person closely associated with or related to the person (American Psychological Association, 2017). ● Informed consent : Informed consent is a process, not just a form. Information must be presented to enable persons to voluntarily decide whether to participate. It is a fundamental
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
apy. APTA shall prepare such determinations in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders. APTA shall also be a resource for stakeholders to address inquiries regarding jurisdictional and personal scope of practice for physical therapists. The Model Practice Act governing the specific physical thera- pist’s license establishes jurisdictional scope of practice, and the rules adopted pursuant to that act. Personal scope of practice consists of activities for which an individual physical therapist is educated and trained, and that he or she is competent to perform (APTA, 2015c).
The APTA provides the following definition of scope of practice and clarification of association role: Scope of practice has three components: Professional, juris- dictional, and personal. The professional scope of practice of physical therapy is de - fined as practice that is grounded in the profession’s unique body of knowledge, supported by educational preparation, based on a body of evidence, and linked to existing or emerg- ing practice frameworks. APTA shall take the role as the prima- ry organization for determining whether particular practices fall within the professional scope of practice of physical ther - Purpose The Guide for Professional Conduct (Guide) provides interpre - tation for some subsections of the APTA Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (Code) for professional conduct (APTA, 2013a). The APTA House of Delegates in June of 2009 adopted a revised Code, which became effective on July 1, 2010, and was updated in 2013 (APTA, 2013c). The Guide provides a framework for physical therapists, assistants, and students with the focus on ethics and professional conduct. These guidelines are subject to change by the Ethics and Judicial Committee (EJC) as the dynamics of the profession change and
THE APTA CODE OF ETHICS FOR THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
new patterns of health care delivery are developed and accepted by the professional community and the public (APTA, 2013c). Interpreting ethical principles The EJC provides interpretation on specific areas of the Code of Ethics in the Guides for therapists and assistants. The Code was designed as a stand-alone document, so not all subsections require interpretation. The Code and Guide cannot cover every ethical issue that the therapist or assistant may cover, but the APTA and FSBPT websites contain additional educational tools and resources beyond the Code and Guide to assist in ethical decisions and practice.
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Book Code: PTCA2624
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