201
KAR 22:053. Code of ethical standards and standards of practice for physical therapists
and physical therapist assistants.
RELATES TO: KRS 327.040, 327.070
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 327.040(11),
(12), (13)
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS
327.040 (12) and (13) authorize the Board of Physical Therapy to establish by
administrative regulation a code of ethical standards and standards of practice
for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. This administrative
regulation establishes those standards which, if violated, are a basis for
disciplinary action under KRS 327.070.
Section 1. Code of Ethical Standards. (1)
Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants shall:
(a) Respect the rights and dignity of all
patients;
(b) Practice within the scope of the
credential holder’s training, expertise and experience;
(c) Ensure that all personnel involved in
the delivery of physical therapy services are identified to the patient by name
and title;
(d) Report to the board any reasonably
suspected violation of KRS Chapter 327 or 201 KAR Chapter 22 by another
credential holder or applicant within thirty (30) days; and
(e) Report to the board any civil
judgment, settlement, or civil claim involving the credential holder's practice
of physical therapy made against the credential holder relating to the
credential holder's own physical therapy practice within thirty (30) days.
(2) Physical therapists and physical
therapist assistants shall not:
(a) Verbally or physically abuse a client;
or
(b) Continue physical therapy services
beyond the point of reasonable benefit to the patient, unless the patient
consents in writing.
Section 2. Standards of Practice for the
Physical Therapist. While engaged in the practice of physical therapy, a
physical therapist shall:
(1) Perform screenings in order to:
(a) Provide information on a person’s
health status relating to physical therapy;
(b) Determine the need for physical
therapy evaluation and treatment;
(c) Make a recommendation regarding a
person’s ability to return to work or physical activity; and
(d) Provide physical therapy services;
(2) Evaluate each patient prior to
initiation of treatment;
(3) Upon receipt of a patient under an
active plan of care from another physical therapy service, the receiving
physical therapist shall:
(a) Complete an initial evaluation in
compliance with Sections 2(2) and 5(1)(a)-(e) of this administrative
regulation; or
(b) Ensure the evaluation and plan of
care from the other physical therapy service are current and appropriate;
(c) Retain the evaluation and plan of
care from the other physical therapy service in the medical record;
(d) Document the patient transfer of care in the
medical record; and
(e) Comply with reassessment requirements
based on the date of the most recent evaluation.
(4) Reassess each patient in accordance
with the following:
(a) Reassessing inpatients in either a
hospital or comprehensive rehabilitation facility every fourteen (14) days;
(b) Reassessing every ninety (90) days,
with the physical therapist assistant present, patients in:
1. A facility defined in 902 KAR 20:086
as an intermediate care facility (ICF) for the mentally retarded (MR) and
developmentally disabled (DD); or
2. A school system.
a. A forty-five (45) day grace period
shall be allowed upon transfer from another school district or from the start
of the school year;
b. During this grace period treatment may
continue based upon the previous reassessment or initial evaluation;
(c) Reassessing each patient not
otherwise noted every thirty (30) days following the initial evaluation or
subsequent reassessment;
(d) Reassessing a patient whose medical
condition has changed;
(5) Refer the patient to other
professionals or services if the treatment or service is beyond the physical
therapist's scope of practice;
(6) Be responsible for the physical
therapy record of each patient;
(7) Provide services that meet or exceed
the generally accepted practice of the profession;
(8) Explain the plan of care to the
patient, to others designated by the patient, and to appropriate professionals;
(9) Make it clear to the patient that the
patient has the right to choose any qualified professional or equipment
supplier if the physical therapist makes recommendations for those; and
(10) Disclose in writing to each patient
any financial interest, compensation, or other value to be received by the
referral source:
(a) For services provided by the physical
therapist;
(b) For equipment rental or purchase; or
(c) For other services the physical
therapist may recommend for the patient.
(11) Unless prohibited by law, all
members of a business entity shall be allowed to pool or apportion fees
received in accordance with a business agreement.
Section 3. Standards of Practice for the
Physical Therapist Assistant. While engaged in the practice of physical
therapy, the physical therapist assistant shall:
(1) Provide services only under the
supervision and direction of a physical therapist;
(2) Refuse to carry out procedures that
the assistant believes are not in the best interest of the patient or that the
assistant is not competent to provide by training or skill level;
(3) Initiate treatment only after
evaluation by the physical therapist;
(4) Upon direction from the physical
therapist, gather data relating to the patient's disability, but not determine
the significance of the data as it pertains to the development of the plan of
care;
(5) Refer to the physical therapist
inquiries that require an interpretation of patient information related to
rehabilitation potential;
(6) Comply with the plan of supervision
established by the physical therapist;
(7) Communicate with the physical
therapist any change or lack of change that occurs in the patient's condition
that may indicate the need for reassessment; and
(8) Discontinue physical therapy services
if reassessments are not done in compliance with Section 2(4) of this
administrative regulation, and communicate to the appropriate parties.
Section 4. Standards for Supervision.
While supervising the physical therapist assistant and supportive personnel,
the physical therapist shall:
(1)(a) At all times, including all work
locations in all jurisdictions, be limited to supervising not more than four
(4) physical therapist assistants or supportive personnel; and
(b) Abide by the maximum staffing ratio
of physical therapists to physical therapist assistants or supportive personnel
required in this section except that a maximum of seven (7) work days in a
sixty (60) consecutive day period shall not constitute a violation of this standard;
(2) Provide direct supervision when supervising supportive personnel as
defined by 201 KAR 22:001, Section 1(20), effective September 1, 2013;
(3) Not delegate procedures or techniques
to the physical therapist assistant that are outside his or her scope of
training, education or expertise;
(4) Not delegate procedures or techniques
to supportive personnel that are outside his or her scope of training,
education or expertise.
(a) Scope of training and competency for
supportive personnel shall be documented and verified at least annually.
(b) Documentation of training and
competency shall be immediately available for review;
(5) Be responsible for:
(a) Interpreting any referral;
(b) Conducting the initial physical
therapy evaluation;
(c) Establishing reporting procedures to
be followed by the physical therapist assistant and supportive personnel;
(d) Evaluating the competency of the
physical therapist assistant and supportive personnel;
(e) Supervising the physical therapist
assistant by being available and accessible by telecommunications during the
working hours of the physical therapist assistant;
(f) Ensuring that if supportive personnel
provide direct patient care that there is direct supervision as defined by 201
KAR 22:001, Section 1(6), effective September 1, 2013 by a physical therapist
or physical therapist assistant;
(g) Ensuring that a physical therapy
student fulfilling clinical education requirements shall receive on-site
supervision by a physical therapist;
(h) Ensuring that a physical therapist assistant student
fulfilling clinical education requirements shall receive on-site supervision of
which eighty (80) percent may be by a credentialed physical therapist
assistant; and
(i)
Establishing discharge planning for patients who require continued physical
therapy.
(6) The physical therapist shall direct
and be responsible for services rendered by physical therapist students or
physical therapist assistant students, including documentation requirements in Section
5 of this administrative regulation.
Section 5. Standards for Documentation.
The physical therapist shall be responsible for the physical therapy record of
a patient. The physical therapy record shall consist of:
(1) The initial evaluation, a written or
typed report signed and dated by the physical therapist performing the
evaluation or supervising the physical therapist student performing the
evaluation shall include:
(a) Pertinent medical and social history;
(b) Subjective information;
(c) Appropriate objective testing;
(d) Assessment, which may include
problems, interpretation, and a physical therapy diagnosis identifying the
nature and extent of the patient’s impairment; and
(e) Plan of care, including:
1. Treatment to be rendered;
2. Frequency and duration of treatment;
and
3. Measurable goals;
(2) Progress notes which shall:
(a) Be written or typed, signed, and
dated:
1. By the person rendering treatment; or
2. By the student or by the supervising
physical therapist or physical therapist assistant if treatment was rendered by
a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant student;
(b) Be countersigned and dated by the
physical therapist if written by supportive personnel, students, or physical
therapy examination candidates; and
(c) Include:
1. A current record of treatment;
2. Patient's adverse response to
treatment;
3. Any factors affecting treatment; and
4. Data obtained by all objective tests
performed;
(3) Reassessment, which shall be written
or typed, signed, and dated by a physical therapist. This reassessment shall be
in compliance with Section 2(4) of this administrative regulation:
(a) If a physical therapist or physical
therapist student is treating the patient, these reports may be incorporated
into the progress notes.
(b) If a physical therapist assistant,
physical therapist assistant student, or supportive personnel are treating the
patient, the report shall be a separate entry into the record.
(c) A reassessment shall include directly
observed objective, subjective, and medical information completed by the
physical therapist, or physical therapist student, that is necessary for the
revision or reaffirmation of the plan of care and measurable goals;
(4) Discharge summary, which shall be a
written or typed, signed, and dated statement.
(a) A physical therapist assistant,
physical therapist student, or physical
therapist assistant student may write the discharge summary, which shall be signed
by the responsible physical therapist.
(b) The discharge summary shall include:
1. The date of discharge;
2. The reason for discharge;
3. The physical therapy status upon
discharge; and
4. A discharge plan, which shall include
recommendations the physical therapist has regarding the need for continuing
physical therapy.
5. A discharge summary, which shall be
written within thirty (30) days of the termination of the current plan of care
if a subsequent plan of care has not been established; and
(5) The correct designation following the
signature of the person who has entered a statement into the patient record
shall be as follows:
(a) If written by a physical therapist: "PT".
Appropriate designations for advanced physical therapy degrees may follow
"PT";
(b) If written by a physical therapist assistant:
"PTA";
(c) If written by supportive personnel:
"PT Aide", or "Physical Therapy Aide", or "PT
Tech"; and
(d) If written by a student:
"Physical Therapist Student" or "PT Student";
"Physical Therapist Assistant Student" or "PTA Student". (16
Ky.R. 2616; Am. 17 Ky.R. 34; 1350; eff. 8-17-1990; 18 Ky.R. 1379; eff.
1-10-1992; 28 Ky.R. 132; 559; eff. 9-10-2001; 31 Ky.R. 811; 1067; eff.
1-4-2005; 35 Ky.R. 1859; 2215; eff. 5-1-2009; 36 Ky.R. 1305; 2047-M; eff.
4-2-2010; 37 Ky.R. 776; 1184; eff. 11-17-2010; 38 Ky.R. 91; eff. 10-19-2011;
1467; 1701; eff. 5-4-2012; 39 Ky.R. 827; 1113; eff. 12-11-12.)